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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29699367">A Ring is Like a Circle: It Goes on Forever</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ominous_snail_cult/pseuds/Ominous_snail_cult'>Ominous_snail_cult</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Biphobia, Canon Compliant, Car Accidents, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Smut, Firefighters, Friends to Lovers, Homophobic Language, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Major Character Injury, Rewrite, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 03:14:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>41,434</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29699367</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ominous_snail_cult/pseuds/Ominous_snail_cult</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Larry asked Chuck to have a domestic partnership with him, Chuck he was hesitant, but eventually complied. If anything happened to Larry in their line of duty, he needed someone to take care of the kids, and though the situation wasn't ideal, he'd do anything for his best friend. All he had to do was sign a few papers, right? But when they send someone ever to investigate their partnerships, they have to pretend to actually be married. To be GAY married. To pretend to be in love! But as they get so caught up in it, Chuck is starting to find it very easy to pretend, and he starts catching feelings for his best friend. Unknowingly, Larry is also finding it easy to pretend.<br/>(Basically, a rewrite of "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" but how I wanted it to go. Less offensive, gayer... Like all things should be.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chuck Levine/Larry Valentine, Fred G. Duncan/Renaldo Pinera, Larry Valentine/Paula Valentine-past</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. For The Kids</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This story will have some overlap with the movie, but as I write more chapters, it should shy away from it. Become more original. Apparently, NO ONE ELSE has written a fic based on this fandom, so if you find this, SHARE. I don't have a lot of hope that people will read this, but I've written other stuff, so I hope you like this!<br/>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Larry asked him to sign up for a domestic partnership, he didn't expect to be sitting in a cab, in <em>Canada,</em> heading to a church to get <em>married. </em>He wasn't even 100% on board with the idea, to begin with, but now that they were being <em>investigated, </em>they had to kick it up a notch. He knows this whole marriage thing wasn't Larry's idea, but still. It's for him. And when that lawyer, Alex, recommended it... What else were they supposed to do without looking suspicious? So of course, he agreed, because he and Larry are best friends, and he loves those kids. What would happen if Larry died? What would happen to Eric and Tori? Larry's wife died, for god's sake, and they would go into foster care for sure. And of course, Larry didn't want to lose his firefighter's pension. If something happened, he wanted his kids to have a safety net to fall back on. </p><p>And Chuck owed him. He saved his life, and this was just how Larry decided to take his offer. So here they were, in a taxi, on their way to get married. </p><p>"Where we gonna do this, sweetheart?" Chuck asks, nudging Larry's knee. Ugh. <em>Sweetheart. </em>Gotta lay it on thick for the taxi driver. Larry doesn't respond right away, staring blankly out the window. "What's the matter, you getting cold nuts?" Larry laughs a little, bringing his full attention to Chuck.</p><p>"No, no. It's just...Paula always wanted to go to Niagara Falls, and... Never got the chance to take her, you know," Larry says, getting that same tone, the one when he talks about Paula. </p><p>"You were great to her. It's been three years already man, it's just. She would want you to be happy, she would want you to move on with your life, find somebody new, I'm tellin' you," Chuck says, trying to cheer him up a bit. Larry was never the same after Paula died, never met any new women. He always tried to push Larry to meet up with someone, take some girl out for drinks, but he always just started talking about Paula. And he knows Larry loved her, more than any person in the world, but time reaches a point when you have to move on. </p><p>"You know what, I did find somebody new," Larry swings his arm over Chuck's shoulder, "and I'm marryin' him today." Huh. I guess he's also laying it on thick. What are the chances the government talks to their taxi driver? </p><p>"Oh, yeah, what a lucky girl," Chuck says, both of them laughing. </p><p>"Queers," the taxi driver mumbles. They both stop laughing, turning their attention to him. </p><p>"What was that?" they both say at the same time.</p><p>"I said, uh, uh, tears! Your love for each other brings... tears to my eyes," the driver said, quickly saving himself.</p><p>"That's what I thought you said, buddy. Yeah. Yeah," Chuck says. They begin talking over each other, and Chuck kind of forgets who says what.</p><p>"Better watch what you say, my friend."</p><p>"Why don't you just drive the car?"</p><p>"Doug Henning. What the hell you think you're doing?"</p><p>"You want a Brooklyn beating, moron? Magic shoes. Yeah?"</p><p>"You want to get him nuts? Yeah? Smacked around?"</p><p>"Then shut your mouth. Don't, please."</p><p>"Faggots," the driver says. Anger bubble's up in Larry's stomach. Who does this guy think he is?</p><p>"All right, that's it, my man. What's that you son of a bitch?"</p><p>"Grab the wheel. Grab the wheel. Hold him down!" The car swerved as Chuck wrestles with the driver, bringing his arms up around the guy's neck. Yeah, sure, maybe he gets a bit defensive about it, especially for two straight guys, but he's gotta' act, you know? If it wasn't being directed at them, Chuck might not have even done anything, maybe even laughed a bit, but oh, how the times have changed. No one calls him or Larry names and gets away with it.</p><p>***</p><p>The wedding is... strange, to say the least. They bring in a homeless guy to act as a witness, though Chuck admits, the guys got some pretty sick moves on the dance floor. The ceremony's short, but they make sure to celebrate after, get plenty of pictures for evidence. The front desk guy is weird, but at least he doesn't have any snide comments like the taxi driver. All in all, Chuck would say it was a pretty decent wedding. But when they first walked in and made arrangements, when the guy asked if they wanted a room for 'romance'... It made Chuck feel... weird. But in a different way from what he expected. He expected to feel nothing, maybe a little grossed out, but instead, he blushed a bit, his stomach feeling funny.</p><p>Maybe it was the absurdity of the situation, maybe it was because now he was picturing having sex with Larry, thanks for that image guy, but maybe he even felt a little... Excited? No, that couldn't be it. He pushed it down as jitters, as anything else than what it actually meant. Well, because it meant nothing. Just a strange feeling after a strange day, and if anyone thought there was something behind it, then they were wrong. Chuck was able to push these thoughts to the very back of his mind, trying hard to not let them resurface. Because this was a favor, and they were both straight, so no more questions, thank you very much. Very, <em>very, </em>straight.</p><p>***</p><p>After the official wedding, they fell into a <em>very </em>domestic lifestyle. It wasn't really all that different compared to normal life. It just had extra Larry, day and night. And it was a lot harder to sleep with women. Sure, he hooked up with the kid's babysitter, Teresa, the same night of their wedding but she didn't count. She was more of a man than Larry was! As the days passed, it became more normal, waking up in the same bed as Larry, helping out with the kids, going to work. But then people found out. One day everything was regular, then everyone at the station started treating them differently.</p><p>When he tried to play basketball with some of the guys and they excluded him? That hurt. It caused his heart to ache, and a strange sick feeling started in his stomach. It was weird, to feel like that after being treated differently for being gay. Because he wasn't <em>actually </em>gay! He wanted to shout it at them "Hey, still straight here!" to be able to play basketball, but he couldn't. It was worse than the taxi driver because the taxi driver didn't matter to him. He was just some random, homophobic guy, and his opinion didn't matter one bit. But his friends? The guys he's worked alongside for years? The guys he went drinking with and watched football with... At least he knows how they would feel if he was actually gay. Which he <em>isn't. </em>But to know this is how they would act around him if he came out for real? He wouldn't come out of the closet to them if he knew what their reaction would be. In <em>real </em>life, that is. </p><p>Chuck is contemplating all of this before bed, sitting up against the bed frame and waiting for Larry. Just thinking about it makes his chest constrict, just the tiniest bit. He's fidgeting with a loose string of the blanket when Larry comes in, done putting the kids to bed. He stops halfway through the room, a concerned expression on his face.</p><p>"You okay, Chuck?" Chuck doesn't hear him, continuing to play with the blanket as he stares off into space. "Chuck," Larry says, speaking louder. He successfully gets Chuck's attention. </p><p>"Hm?" Chuck hums, a faraway look on his face.</p><p>"Are you okay? You have a weird look on your face."</p><p>Chuck plasters a smile on his face, nodding his head and trying to look slightly more alive. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. You're not going soft on me, are you Lar?" He says, laughing a little. Larry just shakes his head, grabbing pajamas before heading to the bathroom. Chuck decides to just get under the covers and go to bed before Larry returns. He doesn't want him to read his body language any more than he had. Especially since <em>nothing </em>was going on. It's just, Larry could be pushy if something were wrong. And Chuck was tired. He just wanted to sleep without anyone bothering him. Yeah. That's why. </p><p>He's still wide awake when Larry comes back in the room, stirring a little when his weight shifts the bed. He falls into an uncomfortable sleep, tossing and turning until his brain allows him some rest, not quite pushing the strange thoughts and feelings of the day out of his head.</p><p>***</p><p>Chuck felt exhausted in the morning. He was usually tired most days, and on top of his terrible night of sleep, he felt he could drop dead any second. He figured it was also because of the kids. Usually, after work, he'd go home, relax, drink, sleep with one of the many women he would bring home. But he couldn't do that anymore. One of the kids always needed help with homework, or chores would need to be done, and there was just always something to do. He wondered how long they would need to keep this up. Though he was more of a "one-night stand" guy, he thinks he eventually wants to settle down. Have a wife and kids of his own. And sure, sometimes he thought of Larry's kids as his own, but it wasn't the same. He was just Uncle Chuck to them, and yes, they might start seeing him as a father now, but this wasn't real. But they don't know that. </p><p>Today is Career Day at school, and so he'd be going to work alone. He's not sure he wants to face his coworkers alone, but he thinks it would be weird for him to show up to Career Day. This game of pretend would feel too much like reality. So, begrudgingly, he goes to the station alone, totally not in the mood to deal with anyone's homophobic bullshit. </p><p>He walks in, letting out a long yawn. He caught a glance of himself in the mirror this morning, and he knew he still looked like shit. Bags were starting to form under his bloodshot eyes. Seriously, if someone bothered him today, he was seriously considering murder. He was hoping to god no one decided to catch their house on fire today. Living in Brooklyn, there was usually something most days, even if it was mundane. When there wasn’t, they'd make sure the station and truck were in tip-top shape, or go and play basketball. And if there was nothing else to do, they'd sit around, eat, talk, play cards. Anything to pass the time really. He heads to the locker room, regretting it instantly when he opens the door. "Hey there, Chuck. Wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" </p><p>Chuck lets out a long groan, rubbing his eyes in frustration. Fucking Renaldo. He had been acting the worst out of all of them. "What do you want, Renaldo?" he says, walking over to his locker. </p><p>"Woh ho! Larry keep you up late last night?" Some of the other guys in the room chuckled at the remark. Chuck ignores him, focusing hard on opening his locker and not punching anyone in the face. He gets his combination wrong. Jesus Christ, he's so <em>fucking </em>tired. He tries again, and when his locker doesn't open, he slams his fist against it hard, yelling "Fuck!" </p><p>After that, the other guys divert their attention from him. Smart of them. But Renaldo... Not so smart. "Jeez, Chuck, must have been good if you can't even remember your combination!" In any other context, Chuck would take it as a friendly jab. Especially if it was about a woman. But it wasn't, and Chuck could hear the snideness in his voice. Chuck turns on him, locker forgotten. He gets closer, pointing a finger up at his face, the other hand clenched tightly by his side.</p><p>"I swear to god if you say one more thing, I'm gonna punch you in the face. <em>Shut up," </em>he says threateningly. Renaldo puts his hands up, surrendering. </p><p>"Okay, okay! Just teasing!" </p><p>Chuck scoffs under his breath, turning away with a shake of his head. "Sure. Teasing," he mumbles to himself. This time, he gets the combination right, shoving his things quickly inside before slamming it shut. He leaves the room, shooting daggers at everyone, challenging them to "tease" him. No one says anything, avoiding his gaze. At least they don't think he can't still kill them just because he's gay. He hopes Larry's day is going better.</p><p>***</p><p>Apparently, Larry's day went worse. First, the kids badgered him with all sorts of questions about his sexuality-the stupid teacher doing barely anything to stop it- and then Steve tried excluding him from helping out with boy scouts and baseball. So, Larry rammed Steve into a wall, and Eric punched a kid in the dick. So, Chuck decided not to tell Larry about Renaldo. </p><p>Before coming home, Chuck stopped by the convenience store to pick up some sleeping pills. He <em>would </em>get a good night's sleep, even if Larry had to hit him over the head with a frying pan. He got a few other things that he remembered they needed around the house. As he was bringing the things up to the check-out counter, he froze. He looked at the stuff in his cart. Toilet paper, toothpaste, hand soap, shampoo, floss... Oh god, he really was living the married life. And that hit him like a freight train. Before, he was just a guy helping out his buddy, but now, he was being Larry's <em>husband. </em>Husband. The word floated around in his head. Sure, Alex referred to them that way before, and so had a few others, but now he was really taking in the word. And it felt weird, doing these things, these small mundane tasks, that he always thought of as acting, with the word husband in his head. This was all starting to feel too real, too normal. And when people poked fun, it was starting to feel more personal, taking a greater toll on his emotions. And he <em>shouldn't </em>be taking these things to heart because this was all fake, <em>fake fake fake, </em>and the disrespectful things people say about him and his husband (oh god, he did NOT just call Larry his husband) shouldn't be cutting so deep. Why was he thinking so hard about these things? Why did it affect him so much? Why? Wh-</p><p>"Excuse me, sir?" a voice said from behind him. Chuck coughed, giving himself a shake to bring him back to the present. He turned his head to see an older woman behind him. She gave him a reproachful look before speaking again. "You're blocking the aisle."</p><p>"Oh," Chuck said flustered, heat rising on his cheeks. He pushed his cart to the side of the aisle, clearing the way. "Must have spaced out there. Sorry, Ma'am." She went to pass him but paused. </p><p>"Are you okay, dear? You look awfully pale," she questioned, reproachful look turning to concern.</p><p>"Uh, no, I'm fine. Just a little dehydrated," he assured, noticing the disbelieving look in her eyes. He tried his best to give her a reassuring smile. "Really. I'm fine."</p><p>"Okay. Have your wife look over you when you get home," she nodded towards his ring, "you look sick." He looked at his ring, heat returning to his face.</p><p>"Husband," he muttered under his breath.</p><p>"What?" </p><p>He looked back up at her, shaking his head. "Nothing. Have a good day." And with that, he pushed his cart to the check-out, putting his stuff on the counter hurriedly. Once everything was paid for, he rushed out to his car, throwing everything in the back seat before getting inside, slamming the door closed. He was breathing heavily, his heart beating fast. Why was this all making him act so <em>weird? </em>Who cares if she thought he had a wife! He was wearing a wedding ring for Christ's sake, and wasn't mostly everyone straight? Gay marriage wasn't even legal, of <em>course, </em>she thought he was straight. Wait. He looked at himself in the review mirror. Not <em>thought. </em>He was straight. He took a few deep breaths, calming himself before he put his keys in the ignition. He was about to pull out when someone knocked sharply at his window. He jumped in his seat, startled. Outside his car, Alex was leaning down, looking at him through the window, smiling. He rolled down the window, putting on a fake smile.</p><p>"Hey, Alex!"</p><p>"Hi, Chuck! Where are you headed right now?" </p><p>"I'm just about to go home, needed to pick some stuff up at the store. Why?"</p><p>"My brother and I were going to a gay bar tonight, but he canceled on me. Would you like to come instead? Larry can come if he wants," she offered, looking at him hopefully. He shook his head, trying to look apologetic. </p><p>"Ah, sorry, I don't think I can. I had a really long day, and I'd just like to go home. I can see if Larry would go with you?" he suggested. </p><p>"Oh, that's okay. I'll see if any of my friends can go. Are you doing anything this weekend?" she asked. Chuck thought, scanning his mind for any plans that Larry might have told him.</p><p>"No, I don't think so. What did you have in mind?"</p><p>"I have some shopping to do, but we can grab lunch together?" Chuck smiled at her, this one more genuine. He liked Alex. She seemed to be the only one on their side during this (even though she was their lawyer, she kind of had to be), and he liked spending time with her. </p><p>"What the hell, okay!" Chuck exclaimed. Now he had something to look forward to. </p><p>"I'll send you the address and time. I gave you my number before, right?"</p><p>"Yes, you did. I'll see you then!" </p><p>"See you then!" Alex said, excitement in her voice. She stepped back from the car, and Chuck rolled up his window, pulling the car out of his spot and driving away. He gave her a wave before turning his eyes back to the road. If he weren’t supposed to be Larry's husband, he thinks he would definitely try and get with her. The possibility of catching feelings didn't make itself known. She was hot, that's for sure, but he thinks he would rather just spend time with her, be a friend. Jeez, Chuck thought, blinking to himself in the mirror. </p><p>"What's happening to me? Spending time with a pretty woman just to be her friend?" he spoke aloud to himself. He laughed, silencing himself quickly. He probably looked crazy, talking and laughing to himself. </p><p>***</p><p>When he got home, Larry and the kids were already there. Larry glanced over his shoulder from where he stood in the kitchen, making dinner. "Where you been, Chuck?" Chuck put the bags on the counter, taking the stuff out to put them away.</p><p>"I stopped by the store to get some things and ran into Alex. She invited me to lunch this weekend. We’re not doing anything, right?" Chuck asked, bringing the things to the bathroom.</p><p>"Nope," Larry called back to him. When he was back in the kitchen, he noticed the tenses of Larry's shoulders.</p><p>"You okay?"</p><p>"Yeah," Larry said, absentmindedly. "tough crowd at career day." </p><p>"Oh. Almost forgot about Career Day. What'd the kids say?" Chuck moved to the fridge, pulling out two beers for both of them. </p><p>"They asked... questions," Larry said, abruptly clearing his throat. "And Steve, uh. Kind of kicked me off boy scouts." Chuck almost dropped the beers, barely containing his fury. "And baseball," Larry added, whispering. Ugh, that jackass Steve!</p><p>"What'd he do that for?" Chuck yelled in disbelief. He already knew the answer, he was just angry. </p><p>"It's fine, Chuck. And, uh," Larry said something else, but he mumbled, and Chuck couldn't hear him.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Suddenly, Eric piped up from where he and Tori were sat at the table, doing their homework. "Dad kicked Steve's ass!" </p><p>"Hey! Watch your language!" Larry said sternly to Eric. He spoke again, silently, making sure the kids couldn't hear them. "He was sayin' stuff about Eric." </p><p>"Oh."</p><p>Chuck cracked open the beers, handing one to Larry. "Watcha' making?" he asked, changing the subject of the conversation. </p><p>"Spaghetti."</p><p>Chuck groaned, overexaggerating a shoulder slump. "Again? We've had pasta, like, every night this week!" Though he was turned away, Chuck was sure Larry was rolling his eyes at him.</p><p>"This is only the second time. Now, unless you want to step up and back something, you can shut up and go help the kids with their homework," Larry retorted. Chuck hmphed before going over to the kids. His day was already feeling better. He could get used to this.</p><p>***</p><p>That night, Chuck took a few sleeping pills and woke up feeling refreshed and a lot less groggy than usual. The day was going okay, that is until they had to shower after a call. When they first entered the shower room, everyone was laughing and talking, until he and Larry entered. After they noticed they were in there, everyone faced away from them and stopped talking with each other. He tried walking in with as much confidence as he could muster, but it felt <em>awful. </em>He wanted to slap everyone in there. They each took their respectable showers, trying to ignore everyone as they washed. Everything seemed fine, maybe a little tense, until one of the guys dropped their bar of soap, causing it to slide towards the middle of the room. He cried a dramatic "NO" before trying to steal the soap of the person next to him. They fought over it for a few seconds before that one fell too, leaving them without soap. <em>That's not true, </em>Chuck thought, <em>they have soap. They're just being homophobic. </em></p><p>I mean what did they think this was, prison? And marriage means you devoted to the person you're <em>fucking </em>married to, so they should have no problem. Chuck was about to say something when the new guy Duncan came in. He noticed the two bars of soap on the ground and the odd looks everyone was giving Chuck and Larry, so he took the shower in the center of the room. He made a show of really sudsing himself up and bending down. He really took the cack when he started singing. Chuck wondered what it was all about, sticking up for them without even saying anything, but he was thankful for it. Everyone had been wary of Duncan. He was a pretty scary guy, and Chuck was thankful to have him on their side. No one would mess with them as much if they had him backing them up.</p><p> </p><p>After the showers, before everyone left for the day, Captain Tucker called both of them into his office. Chuck felt a bit queasy in the stomach, already guessing what the Captain wanted to talk to them about. He went on about how he didn't need the pension Department pissing up his leg, and the stress "you two bozos" were causing him. Of course, out of everyone, Chuck had expected him not to believe they were actually gay. For now, he said he wouldn't do anything to get them in trouble, but that if he was asked anything, he wouldn't lie. Chuck fully took into consideration how many people they might be putting in trouble with their scheme. </p><p>When he dismissed them, Chuck was practically shaking. His hands were clammy, his throat was dry, and he was fully regretting this. Everyone else on their shift has gone home, so it's mostly just them as they get their stuff and head to the car, so Chuck deems it safe to ramble. "What are we gonna do, Larry? He's going to tell the department, we're gonna go to jail, and the situation for the kids will be even <em>worse </em>than if you died!" Chuck threw his stuff in the backseat and went to the passenger's side, speaking to Larry over the car. "Do we need to up the gay? Do you think we still have a chance to convince him this is real?" Larry got in the car, snorting at his question. </p><p>"How are we supposed to do that? When I put my hand on your knee at the lawyer's office, you almost killed me!" Larry was trying to sound amused, but Chuck could hear the worry in his voice. They so did not need someone fucking up their plan. </p><p>"Then what do we do, Lar?" Chuck asked in a patronizing tone. Larry huffed angrily, putting the keys in the ignition. </p><p>"I don't know! You're going to lunch with Alex, right? Ask her what we can do to get the Department off our back. If we don't have them sniffing around anymore, then there isn't a risk of Tucker spilling the beans." </p><p>Chuck took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll do that," he said to no one in particular. He kept his mouth shut for the rest of the ride home, trying to push the panic from his mind. Larry dropped him off, leaving to pick up the kids. Once Chuck was inside, he poured himself a glass of water, the shakiness of his hands almost causing him to drop the cup. He drank it slowly at the dining room table, trying to force himself to relax. God, this was taking a huge toll on his mental health. Just remember, this was all for the kids. For the kids. </p><p>***</p><p>Chuck was glad it was finally the weekend. He got a text from Alex early Saturday morning. He was excited to finally do something with someone other than Larry or the kids. He'd hung out with her a few times, and she was fun to be around. She sent the address to her apartment, saying that he would leave his car there and she would drive them around the city. She lived in a part of Brooklyn that he had only been to a few times, so hopefully, people wouldn't recognize him there. Ever since the pension department started investigating their partnership, they were sort of becoming small-town celebrities. They had already gotten a few letters from various LGBTQ+ people enraged that the department didn't think their marriage was legitimate. He was happy for the support, but he really wanted to go unbothered today, just enjoy lunch and Alex's company. </p><p>They went to a small Chinese restaurant for lunch, Alex's favorite place to get take-out. Chuck got some pork dumplings and some Lo Mein since that's what he always got when he ordered Chinese food. He didn't want to ruin the mood, but he really needed some advice from her to get the Department of his and Larry's back. He took the opportunity when she asked how he and Larry had been.</p><p>"Oh, yeah, we've been great. It's a little hard at work with the department and the guys and whatever, but we're okay." Chuck didn't want to outwardly ask for help, he thought that would be too suspicious. </p><p>"Ugh!" Alex grunted in disgust. "I really wish they would just leave you alone! I mean how hard is it to believe that two men can be together? What do they need for proof, a sex tape?" She pushed her food around with her chopsticks, seeming to be in deep thought. "I'm not sure what you can do. You just got to wait and hope they don't take you to court. I mean, as long as Fitzer doesn't catch you having sex with a woman, they have <em>literally </em>no reason to do anything! And you're obviously not going to, so what's the point of poking around?" Chuck nearly choked on a dumpling at her comment. He had slipped up a few times, going to the most obscure side of the city to find some chick that wouldn't recognize him. But only a few.</p><p>"He's probably investigating because we're not stereotypical gay guys like he expects," Chuck remarked. "He's not the only one. Our Captain doesn't believe us either." </p><p>"You're right! Just because you don't conform to what people think you should be like, doesn't mean you're any less valid! And your Captains not backing you up either? If he did, that could give you guys some leeway against the Department. Why doesn't he believe you, anyway?" she asked, eating a piece of sushi. Chuck froze, brain racing for an excuse. He flustered, taking a sip of water to give him more time to come up with something.</p><p>"Oh, you know. He's always known us to be with women. Especially me. Before Larry, I was quite the lady's man," he joked. </p><p>"Really?" she said in disbelief. <em>Oh no. </em>Now he would have to explain more.</p><p>"Uh, yeah. It always felt... fine, so I didn't think there was a possibility of being gay." He hoped he sounded convincing enough. He had done a bit of research on people who didn't come out until later in life. He was copying the exact words from this interview he saw about this gay, 60-year-old principal who ended up divorcing his wife.</p><p>"Huh," she said thoughtfully, taking a long sip of her lemonade. "Maybe you're bisexual." After that, she continued eating like she expected him to know what she meant.</p><p>"What's bisexual?" he asked. She gave a short bark of laughter.</p><p>"What? What's so funny?" </p><p>She shook her head in amusement, gripping the table hard while trying to contain herself. "You really don't know much about the community, do you?" He was about to defend himself, but she continued as he was opening his mouth. "That's okay. Some people are fine with just knowing that they love someone, despite their gender. Anyways, bisexual means you're attracted to more than one gender." He looked at her confused, clearly not getting it. "It means you might like both men and women."</p><p>Chuck paused, leaning back in his chair, a strange expression on his face. You could like more than one gender? Bisexual. The word felt so right. Before he could dwell on it longer, he realized Alex was saying something.</p><p>"What? Sorry, didn't hear you."</p><p>"I said, it could help your case. Do you think you might be bisexual? Because it could explain why everyone would think you were straight before while still defending yourself. Larry was married to a woman before, right?"</p><p>"Uh, y-yeah" Chuck stuttered. </p><p>"Well, maybe he's bisexual too." </p><p>"Maybe." </p><p>They finished their lunch in comfortable silence, Chuck mulling over what she just said in his mind. He was trying not to think about how fitting bisexual seemed to him for some reason, and more on that it could help them. They could tell everyone they were only half gay. It would explain why both he and Larry had always been with women. And Larry could admit he was married to Paula before without feeling guilty about people thinking he didn't actually love her. Chuck knew that was one of the biggest problems Larry had with the arrangement. Everyone was just thinking "Poor Paula." </p><p>After lunch, they went to a few clothing stores, Chuck helping Alex pick out a few things. He animated himself through it, making himself not look like he was having an existential crisis. He managed to start enjoying himself again, pushing "bisexual" to the very back of his mind. And he happily obliged to Alex's invitation to go back to her apartment. </p><p> </p><p>***</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ooh, am I excited about this story! If you find this SHARE! I'm pretty sure this is the first time anyone has written a Chuck and Larry fic on ao3. I did take some scene's from the movie, so I apologize if they aren't accurate or if the ones I did use don't line up with the movie timeline. I did say I'm trying not to use too much of the movie, so try not to compare scenes too much. Chapter 2 should be out sometime next week!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. lgBtq+</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Chuck discovers there's more to sexuality than just gay and straight.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Woo hoo, chapter two! (haha rhymes.) This took longer because of the recent utter lack of motivation to do anything. (possible writer's block?) I tried editing as much as I could, but it's like my least favorite thing in the world. Unimportant, it's my birthday in like 6 days, so yay!<br/>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Chuck got home, he nearly threw the front door off its hinges as he barreled into the house. He had an excited and frenzied look in his eyes, a huge smile on his face.</p><p>“What’s going on, Chuck?” Larry asked nervously from where he sat in front of the TV.</p><p>“Bisexual!” He shouted, going to the fridge to get himself a beer.</p><p>“Bi-what? Huh?” Larry had a bewildered expression on his face as he got up from the couch to follow Chuck into the kitchen.</p><p>“Bisexual, Larry! We can tell the pension department we’re bisexual, not gay!” Chuck said, handing Larry a beer. Larry refused it, holding up the one already in his hand.</p><p>“What does that even mean?”</p><p>“It’s someone who’s attracted to men <em>and </em>women! If we say we’re bisexual, we can get the department off our backs! It will explain why we’ve only ever been with women! Even Captain Tucker might believe it!” Chuck went back to the living room, plopping himself down on the couch. He began surfing through channels, trying to find something to watch. Larry sat on the other side of the couch, still giving Chuck a strange look.</p><p>“Are you sure that will work? How did you even find out about ‘bisexual,’ or whatever it is?”</p><p>“Alex! I was telling her how Captain Tucker wasn’t believing us and how the department was still bothering us. She asked why the Captain didn’t believe us, and I said it’s because he’s only ever seen us with women. She said maybe we’re bisexual, and just didn’t know it existed!” Chuck turned his attention back to the TV, landing on the NBA channel.</p><p>Larry bit his lip, thinking about what Chuck just said. “It could actually work,” Larry said in wonderment.</p><p>“What, don’t believe I can come up with any good ideas?” Chuck joked. Larry snorted, idly taking a sip of his beer.</p><p>“Technically, Alex gave you the idea. You’re just reporting it back to me,” Larry teased. Chuck shot him a dirty look before scanning the room, confused. Something was missing.</p><p>“Hey, where are the kids?”</p><p>“Oh, they're out playing with some of the neighborhood kids. Didn’t you see them on the way in?”</p><p>Chuck shrugged guiltily, ignoring Larry’s critical stare. “I was too excited about the idea.” Suddenly, a knock came from the door, startling them both. Larry was closer to the door, so he was the one to get up and answer it. He looked through the peephole before turning to Chuck, teeth gritted.</p><p>“<em>Fitzer!” </em>he hissed through his teeth. Chuck straightened (haha) his back from where he was sitting on the couch, a wave of nervousness passing through him. He relaxed himself a bit, trying to make himself look natural.</p><p>“<em>Let him in,” </em>Chuck whispered, leaning back against the cushions. Larry cleared his throat, giving his body a few shakes before he opened the door. Chuck almost laughed at the <em>very </em>fake smile he had on his face.</p><p>“Mr. Fitzer! To what do we owe the pleasure?” Larry said, opening the door further and beckoning him in.</p><p>“Oh, just a routine visit,” Fitzer said passively. “Where are the kids?”</p><p>“Out playing with friends,” Chuck said as he stood from the couch. “Can I get you anything? Water? A beer?” He was staying surprisingly calm about Fitzer’s presence. <em>Because of our plan, </em>Chuck thought to himself. He held back a snicker. If he had the opportunity to bring it up in conversation, he was more than ready to.</p><p>“Oh, no thanks. May I, uh, use your bathroom?” Fitzer asked, eyes darting to a spot at the ceiling. God, this guy did <em>not </em>know anything about acting.</p><p>“Sure,” Larry said, eyeing him suspiciously. “Down the hall, first door on your left.” Fitzer nodded, making his way to the bathroom. Once he was gone, Chuck looked at Larry, amusement on his face.</p><p>“How much you want to bet he’s going through the medicine cabinet?”</p><p>“Oh, I wouldn’t put it past him to go through the trash,” Larry responded, barely holding in laughter. He then froze, expression falling from his face. “Do you think he’ll go through the closet?”</p><p>“Why? What’s in the closet?” Chuck asked.</p><p>“I keep a few porn mags on the top shelf. Pushed to the back so the kids can’t get to them.” The fear in his voice was ever so present. Chuck put a hand on his shoulder, shaking him a little.</p><p>“It’s fine, Larry. If he says anything, Bisexual, remember?” Larry nodded, biting his lip. He still seemed nervous when Fitzer came back after spending a lot longer time in the bathroom than what was normal. Chuck went back to the couch, sitting in his previous spot. Larry went to a cabinet in the kitchen, hiding his worried expression by busying himself with cracking open a new beer. Chuck side-eyed Fitzer from where he was standing awkwardly in the living room.</p><p>“Is there anything specific you need, Fitzer?” Chuck asked, trying to keep the iciness from his tone. He really wanted to deck the guy, but passive-aggressiveness would have to do.</p><p>“Uh, yeah, I had a few questions for the two o-,” Fitzer was cut off by a sudden ringing. Larry hurried to the landline, answering with a quick “hello.” He gave a few mh-hmms before hanging up. He went back to the kitchen, grabbing the car keys from off the counter.</p><p>“What is it?” Chuck asked.</p><p>“Mrs. Vetti called. Eric and Torri are over there, and she wants someone to come to pick them up. Doesn’t want them walking home in the dark.”</p><p>“How’d they get over there? Aren’t the Vetti’s a few blocks over?” Chuck leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees as he waited for Larry’s response.</p><p>“They must have gone over to the field with some other kids. They always end up at the Vettes for after-game water and snacks.”</p><p>Chuck looked towards Fitzer. “I guess it’s just you and me, buddy.” Chuck smiled a bit mischievously as he motioned for Fitzer to sit on the couch. As he sat, Larry was out the door, closing it with a slight bang. Chuck grabbed the remote, turning the volume up.</p><p>“You watch basketball?” Chuck asked conversationally. He started getting anxious, having to deal with Fitzer alone.</p><p>“No, not much of a sports guy. Surprised you are.” Chuck gritted his teeth, clenching his jaw so as to not blow up on the guy.</p><p>“Oh, yeah. I love basketball. Us guys, at the station, play occasionally to pass the time.” <em>Used to play, </em>he thought sullenly. They sat in silence for a few seconds, Fitzer looking like he wanted to say something, but unsure of how to bring it up.</p><p>“I was uh, looking for a fresh hand towel in the closet bathroom…” Fitzer started, avoiding eye contact. “But it is sort of my business. I found a, uh. Certain magazine.”</p><p>
  <em>Of course, he did.</em>
</p><p>Chuck pretended not to know anything. If he did, it would make it look like they planned for this. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”</p><p>“A, uh,” Fitzer coughed, a blush rising in his cheeks. For a guy set on ruining their lives, you’d think he was almost innocent. “Porn magazine.” Chuck looked at him challengingly, growing angry by the second. It <em>was </em>the perfect Segway into the whole bisexual thing, but he hated that this guy was going through their stuff. Hold on, not <em>their </em>stuff. Larry’s stuff.</p><p>“So?” Chuck said, dumbly. He wanted the guy to <em>say </em>it.</p><p>“With women. Why would a gay man have a porn magazine with women in it?” Fitzer asked. Chuck wanted to give him a black eye.</p><p>“Because we’re not gay,” Chuck retorted, holding in a laugh. Fitzer froze, eyes widening as a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.</p><p>“You’re not?” Man, this guy seemed to barely be holding in excitement. He thinks this was going his way. “That’s very interesting because I remember- “</p><p>“We’re bisexual.” Chuck almost broke down in hysterical laughter at how quick Fitzer’s facial expression changed. It went from barely contained interest and excitement to sour and confused. “I take it you know what that means?” Chuck patronized. Fitzer ever so slightly slumped in on himself in disappointment.</p><p>“Of course. Yeah,” he paused, trying to come up with some interrogative question. “Why did you not bring this up sooner?” Chuck smiled on the inside, already prepared with a response.</p><p>“We didn’t know what it was. We found out about it and it was… fitting,” Chuck finished. Throughout the whole conversation, he had kept his eyes mainly glued on the TV in an attempt to make himself look casual. Like this was an offhand comment, not something he had prepared for. He looked back at Fitzer, plastering a confused look on his face. This acting thing was starting to become fun. “Was it important?”</p><p>“Very. This is a case. You withheld valuable information.” God, Fitzer was making it sound like they had murdered someone. Couldn’t he have just let them be fake married in peace? Chuck snorted. “valuable information.” Did it really matter <em>that </em>much? He hoped it did. This could change everything.</p><p>Fitzer cleared his throat, standing from the couch. “I’ll leave you alone now. I have some more work to do,” he said, heavily implying it was Chuck’s fault. He went to the door, not even offering a handshake. He left quickly, closing the door quietly on the way out. When Chuck heard him pull out of the driveway, he deemed it safe and started laughing. He clutched at his stomach, tears streaming down his face. The look on the guy's face? Pure bliss to Chuck. He was happy to have caused him trouble. He had almost contained himself when the front door opened again. The kids stumbling in, looking tired. Larry followed, eyes moving across the room.</p><p>“He left,” Chuck informed, turning his attention to the children. “Did you guys have fun?”</p><p>“Yes, yes, yes!” Tori squealed excitedly. She jumped on the couch next to Chuck. “We played soccer and I scored three goals!” She was clinging to his arm, buzzing with glee, all tiredness gone.</p><p>“Oh, yeah? What about you, Eric?” Eric’s eyes brightened, although he didn’t perk up as much as his sister.</p><p>“I was the cheerleader!” he exclaimed, joining Tori on the couch.</p><p>“Awesome, buddy!” Chuck said, shooting Larry an amused glance. Larry just shook his head, smiling to himself as he wandered to the kitchen. “You guys hungry?”</p><p>“Yeah!” they said in unison.</p><p>“How ‘bout we order pizza?” he asked the kids, although pointedly looking at Larry for permission as he took a spot on the couch. Larry nodded, taking a sip of his beer.</p><p>“Yes! Can we get pepperoni?” Tori asked.</p><p>“And sausage?!” Eric added.</p><p>“Sure thing,” Chuck said, getting up from the couch. He made his way to the kitchen counter, looking for his phone.</p><p>“Gino’s pizza?” Chuck asked Larry. Larry hummed in agreement and Chuck dialed quickly. He placed their order, hanging up before going back to the couch. When he did, Larry spoke to the kids, a strange tone in his voice.</p><p>“Hey, kids, why don’t you go wash up before the pizza gets here?”</p><p>“Okay!” they shouted, racing to their room, shoving each other as they went. Once they were alone, Larry looked expectantly at Chuck.</p><p>“Did he-did you?” he trailed off, becoming tense.</p><p>“It’s taken care of. I’m not sure what he’s gonna do now, but I think we’ve done all we can,” Chuck said with finality. Larry let out a long sigh, definitely one he’d been holding in since Fitzer had come. He leaned his head back, staring at the ceiling.</p><p>“I’m sorry.”</p><p>“For what?”</p><p>Larry gestured to nothing, not sure what he meant exactly either. “Just… All of this. You didn’t have to. Thank you.” Chuck’s chest panged with an unknown feeling. He squeezed his beer tightly, willing the thrumming of his heart to go down.</p><p>“It’s no problem.” I mean, except it was. “You’re not going gay on me, are you Lar?” He said ironically, trying to lighten the tension. It worked. Larry chuckled, sighing in exasperation.</p><p>“Shut up,” Larry said, serious effect taken away by the smile on his face. “Can we watch something besides basketball?” Chuck looked at the TV, the same game still playing from before. It had been playing almost this entire time, and yet he had paid almost no attention to it. He gave the remote to Larry, leaning back against the cushions. At that moment, Tori came back, hair wet from her shower. She took the remote from Larry, putting on her own show. Chuck let out his own sigh, fully assessing the room. Larry and Tori, sitting on the couch with him, watching TV and waiting for pizza. Like a family. Chuck’s heart warm. He felt content.</p><p>***</p><p>Chuck floated in and out of consciousness in the morning, feeling happy. Last night, the pizza had been good, and the usual tenseness of being in their current situation wasn’t there. It also helped that it was Saturday, and he didn’t have work. As he began to become more awake, he did notice an unusual warmth underneath him. Something… moving? He felt around with his left hand, trying to determine what it was. He blinked open his eyes, craning his head up. He froze. He was cuddled against Larry, lying on his stomach with an arm slung across Larry’s chest, head resting on his shoulder. Larry’s arm was brought up, wrapped around him. <em>Move. Pull away. MOVE! </em>His brain screamed at him. But what if he woke up Larry? How would he explain it? Instead, with very cautious and precise movements, he extracted himself, moving back to his side of the bed. He faced away from Larry, already colder.</p><p>He closed his eyes, trying to push away the ache his body felt when he moved away. It was just because he got cold, right? And his body moved itself to the warmest thing it could find. No need to think too hard about his, no sir.</p><p>His breathing eventually mellowed out, heart rate dropping. He hadn’t even realized how intensely it was beating until he was trying to relax. He fell into a comfortable half-asleep half-awake state that was perfect for a nice weekend morning, shivering slightly at the lost contact. Way back in his brain, he wished that he didn’t move. I mean, he didn’t <em>really </em>mind it, but what would Larry have done?</p><p>***</p><p>When Larry had found Chuck practically lying on top of him, he jerked fully awake instantly. Instead of freaking out or panicking like Chuck would’ve done, he took a few deep breaths, trying not to wake him up. If he did while Larry was awake, he would surely freak out, scramble away quickly and charge out of the room, swearing up and down that he wasn’t gay. Now <em>that </em>would wake Larry right up, but he wanted to sleep. It was Saturday, and still early morning, and he’d be damned if Chuck ruined it.</p><p>He tried shifting Chuck carefully off of him a few times, but to get him away would require more force than would wake him. He tried moving away, but he didn’t have enough bed left to fully get out from under him. He huffed angrily. He could also just… go back to sleep? I mean, he wasn’t totally uncomfortable, and Chuck was warm. Yeah, he could throw away a bit of his masculinity, and if Chuck asked him about it, he could say he didn’t know what he was talking about. That he was asleep. He closed his eyes, ignoring the nagging thought that it was weird to cuddle with his friend. His guy friend. He fell asleep quickly, arms unconsciously wrapping around Chuck and holding him closer. Keyword, unconsciously. And he wouldn’t even know.</p><p>And when they both ended up in the kitchen an hour and a half later, padding around the kitchen and making breakfast for the kids, they acted normally. Because the other didn’t know anything, so why bring it up? There was, however, an air of awkwardness, that they both pointedly ignored.</p><p>***</p><p>Chuck wrestled with the string around his neck, the tie of his cape choking him slightly. He and Larry were in the car, heading to some gay nightclub dress-up party thing. Alex had called Sunday afternoon and invited them to come. He had tied the cape on too tight and had sat on it, successfully cutting his airway as he struggled to drive. Larry had worn a ridiculous apple costume that made it impossible to drive. He had not wanted to go to this thing, but Larry convinced him it would be “good to trick the department.” They were putting so much work and effort into this façade that it was starting to feel like a full-time job.</p><p>It was Wednesday night, the setting sun coloring the sky a beautiful mix of soft orange and pink. Chuck was confused about the dressing-up part. It was spring, and Halloween wasn’t in months. All doubts washed away when they found the club and entered.</p><p>The place was filled with people dressed in extravagant costumes; men in dresses, some with gems, some with feathers, all full of vibrant color. Some even had feathers. Most everyone had some variation of makeup, ranging from the smallest coat of lipstick to wildly decorated eyes with hugely winged eyeliner. There were people who Chuck couldn’t even tell what gender they were, hair short and dyed neon. People were drinking, talking, and dancing, flowing to the beat of the music, all clashed together to form a, well, rainbow. No wonder it was the pride colors. It was beautiful, but also e<em>xtremely </em>overwhelming. The music thumped loudly in Chuck’s ears, the heavy throng of voices doing nothing to help. He and Larry stood at the front, looking hopelessly lost until someone caught Chuck’s attention.</p><p>On someone’s shoulders, Alex was swaying to the beat of the music, holding her drink above her head. She noticed them from across the room, tapping the person on the head to put her down. When the person knelt to let her down, she momentarily disappeared into the crowd. Chuck thought he caught a flash of her hair moving through the mass when she suddenly appeared in front of them.</p><p>“Hi, guys! I’m so excited you came! Come, the table’s over here!” she said brightly, slurring in her words. Now that she was up close, Chuck fully took in her costume. She was wearing a cat costume, dangerously tight on her body, with a pair of black heels and cat ears. He didn’t get to look, as she quickly led them to their table. He and Larry sat down, still looking around and drinking in everything.</p><p>“It’s amazing here, right?” she yelled to be heard over the music, motioning to the room.</p><p>“There’s… a lot of people,” Larry breathed eyes widening in surprise. Chuck was sure she hadn’t heard him.</p><p>“I was…not expecting this,” Chuck said, still dazed. She giggled, taking a sip from her drink. It was bright green.</p><p>“You two haven’t been to a party like this, ever?” Alex asked, now genuinely interested.</p><p>“Nope,” Larry answered for him.</p><p>“Has the department been bothering you as much?” They both turned their attention back to her, done with taking everything in for now.</p><p>“No, we haven’t heard from them in a while. No Fitzer since Saturday,” Chuck said, leaning across the table to be heard.</p><p>“That’s great! Do you guys want a drink?” she asked, already waving someone down. Chuck nodded eagerly, the prospect of getting wasted very enticing. He would need it to get through this. Not that he wasn’t enjoying himself, but it was a bit much.</p><p>The waiter showed up, Alex ordering them drinks that they just <em>had to try</em>. They sat in slightly awkward silence when all of a sudden someone threw themselves in a chair at their table.</p><p>“Hi, Kevin!” Alex exclaimed. “Chuck, Larry, this is my brother, Kevin! And Kevin, these are the two guys whose case I’m working on.” Kevin reached across the table and shook both their hands. It was weird, shaking hands with someone dressed as a fairy. A <em>literal </em>fairy, Chuck thought, with wings and everything. He looked at them curiously, eyes burning with questions.</p><p>“Oh, yeah! The firefighters, right?” Kevin asked, giving them his full attention. As he asked, the waiter returned with their bears. Chuck absentmindedly nodded.</p><p>“That must be hard, working somewhere with a predominantly straight male workforce. That’s a lot of toxic masculinity in one place.” Kevin genuinely looked like he cared. “Can’t be as bad as being policemen. I had a cop friend who came out a year or two ago. He ended up quitting.”</p><p>Oh <em>wow. </em>Chuck knew it could be bad, but that bad? Guilt crept upon him. This guy was pitying them for the situation they were in, and they were lying to his face. Thankfully, Larry answered for him. Chuck was sure that if he spoke, his voice would’ve cracked.</p><p>“It’s not nearly as bad for us. The guys have been acting weird, but nothing cruel or mean. Mostly just awkward avoidance,” Larry said smoothly. He was much better at this, cooler under pressure.</p><p>“Except for Renaldo,” Chuck added, feeling he needed to say something. He drank the beer, keeping his eyes locked firmly on a straw wrapper littering the ground. When no one continued spoke, he looked back up. Kevin and Alex were obviously expecting Larry to agree, or something like that, but he was just looking strangely back at Chuck.</p><p>“What?” Chuck asked, looking back at Larry like he was the weird one.</p><p>“Renaldo’s been giving you shit?”</p><p>Chuck laughed nervously, taking a long, slow sip of his beer. “Uh, yeah. He hasn’t been acting the same way to you?”</p><p>“No.” Larry shook his head, sounding utterly disbelieved. “Why didn’t you say anything?”</p><p>“Because it’s nothing! He’s just bein’ a dick.” Though he tried keeping his tone nonchalant and light, he shot Larry a warning glance, clearly telling him to <em>drop it. </em>Larry did, both of them turning back to Alex and Kevin. They had gravitated to facing each other during their sidebar, and now Alex and Kevin were looking at them awkwardly like they were intruding. Changing topics, Larry asked Kevin something, but Chuck didn’t hear it.</p><p>He felt weird, the sudden scrutiny of Larry’s question still hanging over him. Larry had sounded mad, and Chuck was just realizing it wasn’t being directed at him. Larry was mad at <em>Renaldo. </em>He was being <em>protective. </em>Suddenly, the air in the room felt very thin. Even after their short time there, the bar had already almost doubled in size. He was now just noticing the several people rushing past him, on their way to get a drink, dancing, being <em>impossibly close. </em>It was like everyone was closing in and around him. The music was thumping louder, volume increased so everyone could hear it. It was dizzying his head, crowding his thoughts. Some had started a disco ball, or strobe lights, or <em>something, </em>because lights were flashing all around the room, right in his eyes, giving everything a dream-like feel. He was pulled back momentarily by a voice; a question being directed at him. He blinked his eyes, trying to regain focus.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“I asked,” Kevin said, “how you found out you were bisexual? If you don’t mind me asking. Though the communities excepting, I haven’t met many out bisexuals. There’s actually a lot of biphobia, in the community. Did you know before Larry?” Chuck froze. For a completely different reason than why he <em>should </em>have frozen. To Larry, it probably looked like Chuck was panicking over an answer to not look suspicious. But that wasn’t it.</p><p>Since their marriage, whenever someone asked, it had been out of blunt suspicion. Whether it was the department, or their coworkers, or the captain… And when a question was interrogative, it was easier to come up with a defense and excuse that could be disguised as an answer. But when he was asked out of genuine curiosity, of someone who wanted to know more besides the obvious? It was different. Instead of his brain scrambling for the obvious explanation, the one Alex helped him come up with because this wasn’t just about sexuality. All other questions had been about simple, answerable terms. Straight, gay, bi.</p><p>Kevin was asking how Larry tied in with his sexuality. About the journey, the r<em>ealization, </em>even if it was implicitly implied. He expected to fall short, to come up with some stuttering, half-assed response. But instead, he found himself in deep thought. And maybe it was the intoxicating crowd, the feeling of utter <em>acceptance, </em>but his mind came up with the most honest to god, <em>terrifying response. </em></p><p>
  <em>Because Larry’s a beautiful, caring, wonderful man, who’s passionate about his job, and who loves his children. He’s loyal and kind, and without him, I probably wouldn’t know anything about my sexuality, would have stayed with women, because me knowing about it isn’t as important as being with HIM, and…</em>
</p><p>Unfortunately, the rambling died on his lips before it had even started. He was blatantly aware he had been sitting stock still, like a statue, left to ramble in his mind. This was becoming real, too <em>goddamn </em>real, and now his drunk brain didn’t know the difference between acting and reality. When he thought of Larry like that, his heart <em>hurt, </em>and he didn’t know why. He didn’t <em>actually </em>have feelings for Larry, he couldn’t! This was fake, and he wasn’t bisexual, even if his mind sure talked like he was. And even if he <em>did </em>like Larry, which he didn’t, nothing would happen! They would get the department out of their business, Chuck would discreetly move back to his apartment, which he definitely didn’t forget he had, and everything would be normal again. And he was straight. Wasn’t he?</p><p>As his mind raced, Chuck didn’t notice he was hyperventilating and clutching the table like a lifeline. His chest felt constricted, and he was so <em>warm, </em>and the room gave him a trapped feeling, and he needed to get <em>out, out, out right now! </em>Larry, Alex, and Kevin were staring at him, all of them with a certain degree of concern written on their face.</p><p>He looked back toward the door. The place was too full, it would take him forever to get through everyone and out into fresh air. He desperately needed fresh air. Looking back at them, over Alex’s shoulder, he saw a hallway, an arrow pointing in, indicating the bathrooms. Well, it had to be better than where he was now. From here, he couldn’t even see a line.</p><p>“I have to go,” he said, abruptly standing up and all but sprinting away from the table. He pushed through past people, hearing a faint “are you okay?” from Larry. <em>Larry. </em>He couldn’t think about Larry right now.</p><p>He made it to the bathrooms, pushing into the family room because it was empty, and he could lock the door. The closed-door cut off some of the music, though the beat still vibrated through the ground. He clutched at himself, sinking slowly to the floor, back against the wall. He was breathing in quick, shallow breathes, barely dragging in the air. His heart was beating wildly, threatening to pound out of his chest. His throat was dry, and his tongue felt like a dead slug in his mouth. Tears had started streaming down his face, god knows when, and he was shaking violently. What was this? Was he having a heart attack? Maybe that would be best, to die right here. He wouldn’t have to face Larry.</p><p>Almost if on cue, someone banged on the door.</p><p>“Chuck? Are you in there? Are you okay?” It was Larry, sounding worried and panicked. Chuck tried yelling at him to go away, but only managed a choked strangling sound. He felt like he lost the ability to speak. Slowly, the doorknob turned, and the door pushed slowly open. He was so sure he locked it.</p><p>Larry poked his head in, scanning the room before his eyes landed on Chuck. He must have been quite a sight, knees brought to his chest, deathly pale and shaking.</p><p>“Go away,” Chuck managed to say, voice wavering. Larry shook his head, coming into the bathroom a little more.</p><p>“I’m not leaving you, Chuck.”</p><p>Chuck shuddered, hiding his face in his knees. Why did Larry have to be so goddamn caring? Why couldn’t he just not give a shit?</p><p>Chuck heard the door open further than close, locking with a click. He peaked up slightly, seeing Larry approach him cautiously like he was an injured animal. Chuck tensed as he came closer, drawing more into himself. Larry knelt in front of him, just a few feet away, and reached out a tentative hand. He placed it gently on Chuck’s shoulder, giving a light squeeze.</p><p>“Hey. Just breathe.”</p><p>Chuck tried drawing in a slow breath, only for a wrack of sobs to roll through him instead. God, Larry had only seen him cry twice before, both times drunk, and never as broken like this. Why was he being so weak? Just because of a stupid question.</p><p>Larry immediately sat next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. His close proximity should have made it worse, but instead, it calmed Chuck. Since when had Larry become a calming, trusting presence to him?</p><p>Instead of pulling away, Chuck leaned slightly into him, allowing Larry to comfort him. They stayed like that for what felt like an hour, Larry whispering “you're fine,” and “everything’s okay.” And he didn’t even know what was wrong.</p><p>And that was it, wasn’t it? Unconditional tenderness and comfort for those close to him. Chuck didn’t deserve to have Larry in his life. Someone so full of kindness, sticking around with someone like Chuck. They were opposites, Chuck plowing (pun intended) through women, barely remembering their names… The longest relationship he ever had lasted two weeks, and that was in high school.</p><p>Larry was always there for him, so understanding, and god, Chuck loved him <em>so much. </em>Maybe this was new, maybe it wasn’t, maybe it should scare him, maybe he should disappear from Larry’s life for a while. But right now, it didn’t matter, sitting on the floor of a gay nightclub bathroom, held in the arms of the most perfect man, it didn’t matter. Because if Larry was still here, watching Chuck break down in front of him, that only made Chuck love him a little deeper.  </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Oof, poor Chuck. The next chapter is going to be more of Larry's POV, but I like writing from Chuck's because I think he makes the story more angsty. I should probably edit the tags, put anxiety attack warnings, or something. (I'm always editing the FREAKING tags, it's so annoying.)<br/>The next chapter should be out next week. Also, I know the definition of bisexuality isn't 100% accurate (I'll fix that later on) but the movie was set a while ago, so, authenticity, ya know? Anyways, love yall!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Memory Lane</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Chuck comes to some... realizations.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>oof, just popping in here, almost forgot the notes! Hope you enjoy, next chapter should be out in a week, blah blah blah. Sorry this one took so long, it was my birthday.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Larry was worried about Chuck. After he had gotten Chuck to calm down in the bathroom, they left the club immediately. It wasn’t like Chuck, to freak out like that. He had seemed fine up until Kevin started asking questions about sexuality and whatnot. Alex had offered to call an ambulance, unsure if it was a medical issue. To be honest, Larry wasn’t sure what it was. All he knew, is that the few times they dealt with suicide jumpers, they had the same frantic aura that Chuck had last night.</p><p>When Chuck’s breathing was even and he some color had risen back to his face, Larry was able to get him out of the bathroom, excusing them to Alex, and had brought him out to the car. It was like Chuck was coming down from a sugar high, energy crashing swiftly. Even as they moved through jostling people to get out, Chuck remained close to falling asleep standing up.</p><p>On the car ride home, Chuck didn’t talk, choosing to stare out the window instead. Larry kept shooting him worried glances, only asking if he was okay a few times, each time met with silence. Chuck obviously wanted his space, but that didn’t stop Larry from being curious. Did he just get overwhelmed by the club? Did he get stressed about the questions? If he did, then why? They had talked about how they would answer people if they asked anything, simple explanations at hand. Was Chuck second-guessing the plan?</p><p>So many questions swirled through Larry’s head as he pulled into the driveway. Teresa’s car was already parked, so he made sure to give her room to leave. Since Chuck moved in, she had been around less and less to watch the kids. Just now, he realized he forgot to call her and tell her they were coming home early.</p><p>He turned to Chuck who was passed out, slumped against the door, as far away as possible from Larry.</p><p>“Hey, Chuck, wake up.” Chuck didn’t stir. Larry shook his shoulder, trying to rouse. “Chuck! We’re home.” Chuck startled awake, glaring at Larry. He exited the car, not saying anything, rushing inside before Larry could even unbuckle his seatbelt. Larry let out a sigh, relaxing now that Chuck was safely home.</p><p>He got out, looking up at the sky. The sun had just barely set, and few stars were peeking through the city polluted sky. He would have to talk to Chuck about this. How could he not? He didn’t want to be nosy or anything, but what if it happened again? What was it, even? Larry had a right to know what was going on. It terrified him, seeing Chuck like that, and being almost incapable to help.</p><p>He went inside, looking at Teresa apologetically. He had offered her more money per hour since has asked last minute.</p><p>“Back so soon?” she asked in her thick, Russian accent.</p><p>“Yeah, sorry. Chuck’s not feeling well,” Larry covered.</p><p>“Yes. Very pale,” she stated, collecting her things. Tori and Eric were sitting on the couch watching cartoons, looking curiously at Larry but still mostly oblivious to the situation.</p><p>“Where did he go?”</p><p>“Bathroom. To wash vampire make-up,” she said, walking to the door. She paused before it, looking at him pointedly.</p><p>“Oh, yeah, almost forgot.” Larry got out his wallet, riffling through for cash. He gave her $50, the amount she would have made if she had worked the agreed-upon time.</p><p>“Dinner is in the oven. Needs ten minutes.”</p><p>“Yes, thank you, Teresa,” he said, shooing her out the door. Chuck had been out of his sight for only a short amount of time, and he was already worried. He rushed over to the kids, checking on them quickly. They were engrossed in their show, paying him the least amount of attention needed. As much as they loved their father, Larry knew they were excited when Teresa watched them. It meant more TV time.</p><p>Larry went to the bathroom, only for it to be empty. He found Chuck on the bed, already under the covers and very much asleep. He must have taken the costume and make-up off in record time to have gotten in bed so quickly. That is unless he was pretending to be asleep. Just to check, Larry went to his side of the bed, hovering over him a bit.</p><p>“Chuck? Dinner’s going to be ready soon.” To his correct suspicion, Chuck turned away from him, murmuring an almost silent “not hungry” before ignoring him. Larry huffed, refusing to leave. “Alright. If you decide to eat, I’ll leave you a plate in the fridge.”</p><p>Getting no response from Chuck, Larry went back to the kitchen, checking the food. Frozen lasagna. Not the best, but Teresa wasn’t the best of chefs.</p><p> </p><p>When dinner was ready, Larry and the kids ate at the table, the kids unsettled by Chuck’s absence. Chuck was always eating dinner with them when both he and Larry were home, and it was a strange change for them.</p><p>“Is Uncle Chuck okay?” Tori asked, curiosity getting the best of her.</p><p>“Yeah, he’s fine,” Larry assured, though it was an automatic response. He wasn’t sure if Chuck was fine, but he couldn’t tell her otherwise.</p><p>“You said he was sick. Did he get a stomach ache?” Eric added, looking down the hallway at the closed bedroom door. Larry wasn’t sure how to answer the question. It was far from that kind of sickness. How could he explain it to the kids without freaking them out? The tenseness in Larry’s shoulders settled back in as he searched for an appropriate response.</p><p>“Uh, no. Do you remember Alex?” he prompted. The kids nodded, putting their forks down. They were now fully engrossed in the story.</p><p>“Well, we met her brother tonight, and he asked some questions that Chuck didn’t like. It stressed him out, and he didn’t want to be there anymore,” he said, hoping the kids would catch on enough. They both contemplated it for a bit, piecing together the information.</p><p>“Like when people ask about Mom?” Eric implored, picking noncommittedly at his lasagna.</p><p>“Yeah, like that. It makes you feel weird, doesn’t it? Like you wish they didn’t ask?” The kids nodded, bringing their attention back to eating, dropping the subject, which Larry was thankful for. He wasn’t sure what he would say if they wanted to know more.</p><p>He barely ate his dinner, to anxious to feel very hungry. He put some on a plate, saran wrapping it before putting it in the fridge for Chuck. When the kids were tucked in, he made his way back to his room, looking at Chuck for a few seconds before grabbing a change of clothes. When he was in his pajamas, he crawled carefully in bed, making sure not to disrupt Chuck. Even while sleeping, Chuck had a troubled expression on his face.</p><p>Eventually, Larry fell into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning through the night. Only when his unconscious body felt a warm presence pressed securely against him was Larry’s mind able to fall into a deeper, more relaxed sleep.</p><p>***</p><p>The alarm went off, rousing Larry from sleep. Groggily, he sat up, rubbing his eyes. He looked next to him, down at Chuck, who was still asleep.</p><p>“C’mon Chuck,” Larry said, shaking him. “We have work,” Chuck grumbled, burrowing deeper into the blankets.</p><p>“I’m sick,” he mumbled.</p><p>“Are you really sick, or is this about last night?” Larry inquired.</p><p>“I’m not feeling well,” Chuck said more sternly, avoiding the question. Larry sighed in defeat, getting out of bed.</p><p>“Fine. Could you at least try running to the grocery store if you feel better? We’re low on some stuff.” Chuck grunted in agreement. “I’ll leave a list in case you do.”</p><p>Larry got himself and the kids ready for the day, ignoring the nagging in the back of his mind that Something was Seriously Wrong. Chuck only ever took sick days if had a very high fever or a very bad hangover. The nagging turned into an antsy feeling that followed him throughout the day. More than once, the guys caught him in a deep trance, thinking about what he was going to do. They all asked where Chuck was, though they appreciatively didn’t ask or say anything else. Larry wasn’t sure, but he thought it was the distressed expression he no doubt had on for the entire day.</p><p>When his shift ended and he was still home, the list he made was in the same spot on the counter, untouched. He went to the bedroom. Chuck had barely moved from his spot, still curled under the blankets. Larry could see his limbs twitching under the blanket and could hear Chuck muttering something. He went out to the kitchen, checking the fridge and sink. The lasagna was also left untouched and there were no dirty dishes in the sink. He had originally thought that whatever Chuck was going through would dissipate by the time he got home, or at least he would feel a little better. Larry could feel himself becoming even more worried. He desperately needed to talk to Chuck. He checked his watch. He had one hour before he needed to pick Tori and Eric up from their friend's house.</p><p>He made his way back to the bedroom, unsure of what he would do or say. He walked in, closing the door harder than necessary behind him in hopes it would wake Chuck up. It didn’t. He flicked the light on, which also failed. He walked to Chuck’s side of the bed, crouching down so he was eye level with Chuck’s sleeping face.</p><p>“Chuck,” he said, reaching out a hesitant hand. He poked his shoulder, only succeeding in getting Chuck to roll to the other side of the bed, still muttering. Larry stood, huffing with a twinge of annoyance. “Chuck! Wake up,” he said, close to yelling. At that, Chuck bolt righted into a sitting position, eyes frantically sweeping the room. He clutched at his chest, letting a long breath out when his eyes landed on Larry.</p><p>“Jesus Christ, Larry, you almost gave me a fucking heart attack,” Chuck said, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.</p><p>“We need to talk about what happened,” Larry stated, getting straight to the point. Chuck tried to act casual, but Larry caught his eyes widening in panic and the tension returning to his shoulders.</p><p>“Nothing happened,” Chuck said quietly, his voice wavering.</p><p>“Seriously, Chuck? You had a full-blown meltdown, and I can only assume, spent the whole day in bed. You’ve barely said a word, and you haven’t eaten anything! Can you please just tell me what’s going on?” As Larry spoke, he noticed the way Chuck drew in on himself and how scared he looked. He could almost visibly see his breath quicken and his heart rate increase. So yeah, maybe it was still a sensitive subject.</p><p>Chuck put his face in his hands, shaking his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know why I freaked out. I just…” he trailed off, not knowing what else to say, letting out a miserable groan.</p><p>“How can you not know? Was it something Kevin said?” Larry asked, coaxing more out of him.</p><p>“Something like that. And just, the loud music, the people, the lights… God, it was just <em>too much.”</em></p><p>“Okay, okay, we won’t go there again. What did Kevin say?” Chuck cringed at this, pulling his knees up to his chest. Larry sat on the bed next to him, mimicking how he was sitting, leaning back against the headboard.</p><p>“I don’t know, just the questions…”</p><p>“Way to be vague. He asked a lot of questions.” Chuck glared at him; jaw clenched. <em>Okay, apparently still not in the mood for joking, </em>Larry thought. He let out an exasperated sigh before continuing, clearly not getting a response from Chuck. “Look, Chuck, I’m just trying to help! That’s what I’m here for. But you need to talk to me.”</p><p>“I can’t, Lar. Not yet.”</p><p>Larry’s heart broke at how utterly broken and defeated Chuck sounded. Whatever was going on, it was really wearing down on him, and he didn’t feel he could tell Larry about it. “Well, when you are, I’m here for you. You can talk to me about anything,” Larry said, softly placing a hand on Chuck’s shoulder. As much as it was an act of comfort, Larry also wanted to know how badly Chuck was shaking, how stressed this conversation was making him. Chuck shuddered, his breath coming in and out raggedly. “Hey. Deep breathes, deep breathes,” Larry urged. Chuck nodded, his shoulders sagging.</p><p>Larry looked at his watch. It was almost time to pick up the kids. “I need to go get Tori and Eric. Will you be okay?”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>Larry patted him on the back, getting off the bed. “I’ll be back soon.”</p><p>***</p><p>When they got home, the kids rushed inside, on a mission to finish their homework quickly.</p><p>“Hey, Dad?” Eric asked from the dining room table. “What’s the password again?” Eric had the family computer in front of him, a notebook, and a pencil at hand. Larry walked towards him, sighing loudly. Eric rarely used the computer, but when he did, he always forgot the password. Larry had given up on telling it to him and now opted to just put it in himself.</p><p>“Give it here,” he said, pulling the computer to face him. Eric leaned back, giving his father room, not bothering to see what he typed in. He’d given up on learning it too. When it loaded, Larry’s breath caught in his throat at the tab that was open. He picked the computer up so Eric wouldn’t see the screen. On the screen in big black letters was “How do you know if you’re Gay?”</p><p>Oh.</p><p>
  <em>Oh.</em>
</p><p>Larry looked towards his bedroom door which was still closed. So, Chuck hadn’t been in bed all day. Was this what it was? Was Chuck questioning his sexuality? Did he think Larry would react badly if he brought it up? Is that why he wouldn’t talk about it?</p><p>His thoughts were interrupted by a tug on his sleeve.</p><p>“Daaaaad. I need the computer!”</p><p>Larry gulped, exing out of the tab before setting the computer back on the table. As he went to the kitchen to get a beer, his eyes kept flying to the bedroom door where it seemed to loom over him. Should he bring it up? Or should he wait for Chuck to come to him? How long had he been wrestling with this? Was this whole marriage thing making it worse? There were so many questions, and Larry just didn’t know what to do.</p><p>***</p><p>When Chuck heard the front door close and the car pulling out of the driveway, he rolled out of bed, plan in action. Truth be told, he actually did feel like utter garbage and knew he wouldn’t be very useful if he went to work. He was still very determined on what he needed to do. If he didn’t get some answers, it would be eating away at him forever.</p><p>He found the family computer on the kitchen table and took it back to the bedroom, sitting up on the bed. His hands shook as his fingers hovered over the keys, the cursor blinking on the Google search bar. He knew what he needed to know; he just wasn’t sure where to start. He needed to know if he was actually attracted to men or if it was just the stress of the conversation. Could he be? He knows for a fact that he likes women, is definitely attracted to them. So, he can’t be gay, right? And what about being bisexual? That seemed more likely. He wasn’t sure exactly how to word it, be he ended up typing “How do you know if you’re Bisexual?” into Google.</p><p>As the screen loaded, he felt his heart pound heavily in his chest and sweat beaded on his forehead. He felt fidgety, unsure if he was ready for the answer. When the screen finally loaded, he skimmed through the few articles. To his utter dismay, they were all wildly unhelpful. It was just a bunch of blog posts of people saying how bisexuality isn’t real and that you need to just pick a side. Hell, even some of the people saying it was gay! Is that what life would be like? If he was bisexual? It also didn’t help that mostly everyone was just talking about bisexual women, and how they just wanted attention.</p><p>The more Chuck read, the more uneasy he felt. Was bisexuality even real? Were even half the people in the club accepting of it? The <em>gay </em>club? It seemed to Chuck that neither the straights nor the gays accepted bisexuality as a real thing.</p><p>Chuck slammed the computer shut, pushing it away from him. He dragged his hands over his face, willing his breathing to even out. He went to the bathroom and splashed water on his face, drinking straight from the tap. He looked in the mirror, gripping onto the edge of the sink with his hands, steadying himself. He shut his eyes and dropped his chin on his chest, breathing slowly. He needed a new game plan. Maybe before jumping immediately to sexuality, he should see if he’s attracted to men in the first place. What should he do? Just, look up gay porn? Look at pictures of shirtless men?</p><p>Groaning in self-pity, Chuck walked back to the bedroom, resuming his position with the computer on his lap. He opened it again, closing out of all the tabs left open. He shook his head, trying to regain focus. Setting aside the fact he knew he liked women, for the time being, he typed in, “am I gay?” Instead of articles and blogs, like what popped up before, there were a bunch of quizzes, seeming to take up the whole first page of web results. He clicked on the first one and began answering the questions. The questions made no sense to him. What does your favorite color have to do with your sexuality? Or your favorite singer? Chuck wasn’t too sure, as he wasn’t too engrossed in the community, but he was sure all the questions were stereotypical. This wasn’t about personality or hobbies, he wanted to know if he would fuck a dude, god damn it!</p><p>He closed out of the quiz in frustration, clicking on the next one. As he moved through, he was happy with what they were asking. It asked things like “who do you find yourself staring at?” and “can you imagine yourself having sex with someone of the same sex?” He liked how straightforward it was but was still mainly unsure of how to answer. When it asked, “did you ever have a crush on someone of the same sex as a kid?” Chuck froze. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a crush on someone. Maybe when he was a kid, but once he hit puberty, it was more who’s pants he wanted to get into and not who he’d want to date. He hadn’t really gone further than one-night stands in his life, even in high school. Did he even know what a crush felt like? He opened a brand-new tab, typing in the question.</p><p>As his eyes flew over the answer, they pushed him into deep thought. <em>Queasy stomach, shy, happy to see them, clam hands… </em>As he took in the words, something came to mind. More like <em>someone </em>came to mind.</p><p>He remembered sixth grade, science class with Ms. Shaulter. For a quarter of the year, before they switched up the classes, his lab partner had been a boy he hardly knew. His name was James or Jim or… <em>John. </em>Chuck remember. John Berkey. He was taller than Chuck at the time, but only by a few inches. He had greenish-blue eyes and dark brown hair, almost black, that always fell across his face. Chuck laughed at the memory of John having to tie his hair back in a silly ponytail that stuck up on the top of his head during labs because it was too long. Chuck remembered always being excited for science, even though he sucked at the subject. John and him never really moved past lab partners into friends, but Chuck’s heart always warmed when he walked into the room and saw him sitting at their table. John was always the first one in the room. Chuck remembers his freckles, and how he was the only one to ever call him Charlie. Everyone else either called him Chuck or Charles.</p><p>Chuck remembered how upset he was when the quarter ended, and all the classes got mixed up. He had been too shy to invite John over for a playdate or sleepover, or even for his address. Lucky for him, none of his friends were in that class, otherwise, they would surely make fun of him for his awkward behavior. As a boy, Chuck was loud and rowdy. Chuck once overheard Ms. Shaulter talking to some of the other teachers about him and how he had been so quiet and well behaved for her. The other teachers had looked at her in disbelief, all of them taking turns to tell stories about all the trouble Chuck got into in their classes. Even after the classes switched, Chuck remained good in her class, finding it hard to focus, as he was always thinking about how John wasn’t there. He had thought about on countless occasions finding John to hang out with him, be he eventually missed his chance.</p><p>One day, somewhere between Christmas break and New Year’s, word got out that John was moving to Texas. Apparently, a job opportunity opened up for his father, and the whole family was getting dragged along. Chuck remembers thinking how unfair that was and the anger and sadness that boiled in his chest. He had gone straight home that day, confused and upset by his reaction. He barely knew John, besides his strange success in science.</p><p>Only now was he realizing that he actually <em>liked </em>John. That maybe it was a bit more than friendship he wanted. How could he be so stupid? His crush was so <em>obvious! </em>Maybe if he had realized it sooner, he wouldn’t be having an existential crisis now. </p><p>As this realization came to light, so did so many others. Just tiny slivers of his life that showed that maybe he wasn’t as straight as he thought.</p><p>
  <em>Getting a random boner after walking into the boy's locker room where everyone was changing. Running into a stall and “dealing” with the problem. Chalking it up to Ashley Herk, a hot girl in his class that he had just talked to. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Being terribly obsessed with The Hobbit. And when his mother asked why he always wanted to watch it, he said it was because of the cool battle sequences and the monsters, definitely not Orlando Bloom doing a very good job at playing Legolas. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Feeling a strange dull ache in his chest whenever his friends picked on the new kid, calling him fag just because he dressed a little nicer than all the other boys. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>John, in sixth grade, of course. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Victor, in tenth, who just joined the football team, constantly making Chuck come over to his house when he trained to keep him from procrastinating. He never wore a shirt when he did, the heavy free weights he used showing off his strength. How Chuck watched his muscles build over time.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Some random guy, whose name he never learned, giving him eyes at a party he and the guys at the station attended during their training. Who mildly flirted with him throughout the night, which Chuck didn’t notice. Chuck’s friends teasing him the next morning about the guy, and when they’d “meet Chuck’s new boyfriend.” Chuck getting angry and frustrated at them, asking “what are you talking about?” getting overly defensive. When the guys backed off after he threatened to punch someone in the face. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>What was happening now, everything going on with Larry. </em>
</p><p>Once again, Chuck slammed the computer closed, rolling out of bed again before pacing, wringing his hands nervously. There were so many signs, <em>so many</em>, in his life that pointed to not being straight. Had he really been that dumb? Or had he always intentionally shoved those thoughts and feelings down? Even after the enlightening trip down memory lane, Chuck still wasn’t completely convinced. He closed out of the quiz and typed in “How do you know if you’re Gay?”</p><p>He skimmed a few websites before shutting the computer for one final time and putting it back on the dining room table. It was no question now. He definitely wasn’t straight. But was he gay? Bisexual? And if so, what should he do about it? It surely made the whole marriage plan more convincing. But what would Larry say? Larry seemed a lot more okay about this stuff than him, so he’d be fine with it right? But was it different when it’s someone you know? And how would he feel being married to Chuck if he actually <em>were </em>bisexual? Would he be grossed out? Would he call the whole thing off? Would he still want to be friends with Chuck?</p><p>Chuck could feel another panic attack settling in, making it hard to breathe. He crawled back into bed, laying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He squeezed his eyes shut and counted in his head before his mind wandered and he couldn’t remember what number he was on. No. He couldn’t tell anyone about this. He couldn’t tell Larry.</p><p>Chuck didn’t think he could handle himself if Larry hated him. It was one thing when the guys at work teased and poked fun, but their opinions didn’t matter as much as Larry’s. Chuck already had enough self-loathing going on right now, he didn’t need anyone else’s.</p><p>He needed to tell Larry that they needed to end this. He felt like he was betraying the kids for even thinking it, but he just couldn’t <em>handle </em>it for much longer. Even after his uncomfortable “acceptance” of his sexuality, Chuck was still shoving down what he felt for Larry when they were sitting on the bathroom floor, and Chuck realized how wonderful Larry was to have in his life.</p><p>No. He desperately needed to end this. Get some space between him and Larry for a while. Hell, maybe even quit or change stations! Or shifts, at least.</p><p>Chuck felt mentally exhausted and fell into a fretful sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! Chapter 4 should be out next week.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Renaldo Isn't Just Being a Little Bitch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter four complete. God damn, that took so long, sorry about that. It was a mixture of no motivation and school work. Y'all should definitely check out Frank Watkinson on youtube. His songs make me cry.<br/>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the morning, Chuck was able to successfully drag himself from bed and get to work. He felt the most well-rested he had in days, though he still had an anxious knot in his stomach that never quite went away. On the outside, he looked fine, almost normal, but he was still in a constant battle with himself. But, with a clearer mind, he was able to think more coherent thoughts.</p><p>He was almost 95% sure he was bisexual. His little self-journey the other day so graciously confirmed his suspicions. Though he wasn't too happy about it, it was the one finalized thought in his head, a fact instead of a theory. It made him feel better and worse all at once. Now he just needed to know what he would do with it.</p><p>As he got ready for work, slowly making coffee, and picking at his breakfast, he mulled over what he would do or say. He condensed it down to three options. (1) He could tell Larry, hope to the gods he takes it well, and continue with everything like normal. (2) He could tell Larry, end their whole marriage arrangement, move back to his apartment-which he duly noted he still owns-and forget any of this ever happened. (3) He could say nothing, continue to internally torture himself, and just hope that Larry doesn’t notice anything wrong with him. </p><p>Chuck equally hates all of his options, though he’s leaning towards the last. He’d rather have no confrontation. Who knows, maybe he’s wrong about being bisexual. Maybe it’s just the fact that he’s married to a dude that’s confusing something in his brain. Maybe in a week or so, it would all blow over and he would be completely fine. </p><p>He wasn’t too confident that would happen. His whole Past Gayness Reflection couldn't be for nothing. </p><p>The ride to work was surrounded by an uncomfortable silence. Larry couldn’t stop looking over at Chuck, and Chuck was doing everything in his power to not look and Larry. Unfortunately, this followed them into work. </p><p>The tension between them, mostly emanating from Chuck, followed them into the station and was most definitely noticed by the guys. Even though Chuck looked calm, collected even, it was like everyone could sense whatever he was wrestling with inside. Like looking at a boiling pot of water with the lid on. From the outside it looks like a perfectly normal pot, but you know it’s almost past its tipping point inside.</p><p>The guys took the hint and left Chuck alone, though he heard them countless times talking in hushed voices, debating what was going on. They seemed to think there was some sort of argument or fight going on between him and Larry, "a domestic," and gossiped about why he wasn’t at work the other day and why Chuck was avoiding Larry like the plague. Chuck silently laughed to himself. They were like a clique of high school girls. </p><p>It wasn’t just them that noticed anything off. In the middle of the day, both he and Larry were called into Captain Tucker's office. Chuck was stock still when he sat, trying to show a sense of containment. It didn’t work though, because when Larry sat too close to him, Chuck visibly flinched. He successfully passed it off by pretending to adjust his position. </p><p>“You boys mind telling me what’s going on?” Tucker asked, eyeing them both. Chuck shook his head silently, not trusting his mouth. </p><p>“Nope, everything’s fine,” Larry said, and Chuck was forever grateful. He could just as easily have told Tucker what had gone on at the club, but he didn’t. </p><p>“Now listen,” Tucker said, elbows resting on the desk, hands clasped firmly together. “It’s none of my business what’s going on at home, but whatever it is, I don’t need it being dragged in here. If this continues to be an issue, I’ll need to change up your shifts. This is a serious job. I need you two focused. Do you understand?”</p><p>Chuck nodded solemnly, but Larry looked like he wanted to argue. Honestly, Chuck kind of hoped that the Captain would split their schedules up. It would mean he wouldn’t have to ask for it himself. </p><p>“I said, do you understand?” </p><p>Chuck forgot Captain Tucker appreciated verbal confirmation. </p><p>“Yes, sir,” they said in unison. They stayed seated, waiting to be dismissed. Chuck wanted nothing more than to just sprint out of the room, away from this mess.  </p><p>“One more thing.”</p><p>Chuck almost groaned but was able to refrain. </p><p>“This… Bisexual thing I heard. From the department. I’m not even going to pretend to completely understand it, but…”</p><p>Both Chuck and Larry sat a little straighter, the Captain having caught their full attention. </p><p>“Now, you better not be pulling my leg, because I’m ready to give you two my full support…” he trailed off, assessing them carefully. “So. You’re really together? This isn’t a scheme?” </p><p>They shook their heads, trying to shield the relief that was evident in their eyes. “Of course not, sir. This is real,” Larry confirmed. Captain Tucker nodded thoughtfully, staying silent for a few seconds before clearing his throat. </p><p>“Okay, boys. Back to work. If I find out you’re lying, I will not back you up if the department decides to take you to court,” Captain Tucker finished, shooing them out of his office. Chuck and Larry all but sprinted out, the tension around them lessened at their sudden progress. When they were safely out of Tucker’s view, they silently celebrated, pumping their fists in the air and opening their mouths wide with quiet screams. Chuck was the most relaxed he felt in days, one problem finally lifted from his shoulders. </p><p>Larry clapped him on the back as they walked further from the office and to the kitchen. </p><p>"Dude! I can’t believe it! It worked! You’re <em>amazing!” </em>Larry gushed, squeezing Chuck’s shoulder. </p><p>“What did <em>I </em>do?” Chuck asked, snorting at Larry’s excitement. He was happy about it, but not <em>that </em>happy.</p><p>“You went to lunch with Alex! You came up with the plan! You-” Chuck grabbed his shoulder, bringing them to a halt as he looked around to see if anyone was listening. </p><p>“Keep for voice down, for Christ’s sake! Someone might hear you,” Chuck scolded.</p><p>“Sorry, sorry. It’s just… The department might finally leave us alone! Haven’t you been feeling like someone’s always watching? Like you need to be careful? It’s damn tiring,” Larry said as he began walking again. He was still overjoyed and seemed so much more relaxed than he had recently been. Chuck looked at his smiling face, how his eyes crinkled, how they shined. And it suddenly came crashing down that in the past 24 hours, he was thinking about ending this. Larry would be devastated. They had finally made some progress, and to ruin that?</p><p>As they entered the thankfully empty kitchen, Chuck finalized his plan. He would continue with this like everything was normal. He would pretend to be straight. He would shove down any so-called “feelings” he had for Larry. And if this all played out, in just short of a month, he may be back at his old place, surrounded by gorgeous women. Not home, of course. It wouldn't feel like home anymore. His heart hurt a little at the thought of leaving the house, leaving the kids, leaving Larry, but he pushed deep, deep down. Because everything was fine, and he would be fine. Just fine. </p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>The next week was extremely hard for Chuck. He found himself staring at Larry longingly, tracing his features and expressions, committing them to memory. After the whole club fiasco, he was able to return to semi-normal. No more days kept hiding in bed, no more panic attacks. Sure, he still found himself nervous sometimes, but it was nothing anyone could see, right?</p><p>Unbeknownst to him, Larry was also finding himself staring, but for a completely different reason. Chuck was acting more animated than usual like he was trying very hard to keep himself together while trying to convince everyone around him that he was okay. And on more than one occasion, Larry caught Chuck just staring. Whether at him or into space, it didn’t matter. Larry tried to not think too hard about what he found on the computer. Maybe Chuck was just researching in case anyone asked any more questions. Maybe he was just curious about the community.</p><p>The tension between them was less noticeable, almost gone, though everyone else had become uneasy around Chuck. One second he’d be full of life, participating in conversations, making jokes, and the next he would be a statue, lost deep in thought. Larry became more worried, especially when the kids caught on, Tori asking one night “why Uncle Chuck was acting funny?” Larry tried his best to reassure her that everything was okay, not even able to convince himself. </p><p>The guys at work were becoming more okay with them, especially after they realized that no, Chuck and Larry wouldn’t try and cop a feel or make a pass at them. They even started inviting them to play basketball again, a few even apologizing for their behavior. This put Chuck at ease a little bit, though not enough. As the days passed, Larry noticed his carefully placed mask start to crack. </p><p>One night, Larry saw Chuck just staring into the bathroom mirror, his only movement the blinking of his eyes. He would move away or flinch whenever Larry got too close and would avoid eye contact that lasted too long. He was going out with Alex more and more, rarely being around when they didn’t have to work. Larry felt the responsibility of the children weighing fully back onto his shoulders as Chuck was so absent. He agreed it might be a good thing, as Chuck wouldn’t be here forever, right? Larry couldn’t get too used to him being around, even though he dreaded him leaving. </p><p>Larry had become so codependent that he found himself struggling with the kids with things he was able to do before, forgetting on more than one occasion to pick one or the other up from an afterschool sport or a friend's house. At first, Larry was sympathetic with Chuck. He was going through something, but for how long would it affect him? Larry knew their marriage was fake, but it would still be nice to have Chuck around to do things for the family if he was living in the house. He had agreed to this, and it was only fair to keep up appearances. </p><p>The last straw was when Larry asked four times that Chuck go get grocery’s and had gotten no response, Chuck looking more through him than at him with a dead expression. </p><p>“Chuck!” Larry said, clapping his hands in front of Chuck’s face. Chuck blinked back to reality, making eye contact with Larry for the first time in days. </p><p>“What?” </p><p>“Did you not hear me?” Larry asked, trying to keep the annoyance at bay. Chuck shook his head, looking lost. “What’s going on with you?” </p><p>Chuck instantaneously drew in on himself, shifting uncomfortably on the couch under Larry’s intense gaze. “Nothing.”</p><p>“Bullshit!” </p><p>From the kid's room, Chuck could hear them giggling before Tori yelled out a sarcastic “language, Dad!” then bursting into another fit of laughter. Larry grabbed Chuck by the arm, yanking him from the couch and dragging him to their room where they wouldn’t be overheard. Once they were in, he slammed the door, turning on Chuck. </p><p>“If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I swear to God, I’m going to strangle you, right here right now!” Larry fumed, pointing an accusing finger. </p><p>“No, I can’t- I won’t talk about it,” Chuck said, crossing his arms over his chest, holding his body tightly. </p><p>“Well, you need to. We’re barely holding on by a string here if you haven't noticed. If you’re going to stay, you need to help out. Jesus Christ, even the kids have noticed something’s wrong!” argued Larry. Some of the previous anger was washing off and he just looked extremely tired and defeated. “Please, Chuck? You can talk to me about stuff. You’re clearly not okay.”</p><p>Once again, Chuck could feel himself breaking down, his barriers crumbling. Broken sobs escaped his mouth, and he hid his face in his hands. He felt embarrassed, crying in front of Larry again. </p><p>Larry approached him carefully, leading him to sit on the bed. He made sure to sit between Chuck and the door in case he decided to bolt from the question he was about to ask. </p><p>“Is this about…” Larry paused, thinking how he would phrase it. “Is this about what you looked up? On the computer?” Next to him, Larry felt Chuck go rigid, could hear the air catch in his throat. </p><p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Chuck whispered unconvincingly. </p><p>“You left the tab open. Look, Chuck… It’s okay. We don’t have to talk about it, but I want you to know that it’s okay.” </p><p>Chuck’s crying hadn’t subsided, but it was less violent sobs and more silent tears and shaky breaths. </p><p>“It’s just- I think… I think I might be bisexual… or something,” Chuck confessed. His breath hitched as he spoke, it being the first time he admitted it out loud. “I’m not sure, it’s just… fuck, I hate it so much. It's so confusing.” A fresh wave of sobs rocked out of him, his voice cracking.</p><p>Larry wrapped his arms comfortingly around Chuck, hugging him tightly. He rubbed his shoulders, whispering affirmations into Chuck's ear, letting him know he wasn’t alone. </p><p>Chuck doesn’t know how long they sat there, but by the end of it, he felt just a little bit better.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>Chuck's mood improved immensely. It felt like a giant weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Sure, he was technically “out” already, to everyone, but this was different because this was real for him. He was so incredibly happy about the acceptance that for a while he forgot about the feelings he most definitely did not have for Larry. For a while, it was like they never existed in the first place. </p><p>Chuck was able to move through day-to-day life normally, like how he did when this all started. Help out with the kids, make dinner- since he was the only one with any actual cooking skills- go to work, be a good fake husband. </p><p>The guys at work were more okay with them than ever, it was almost like before. There were occasional jokes, there always would be, but now they were lighthearted and good-natured. That was, except for Renaldo. He got worse. His jokes and teasing were still laced with malice. They only started dwindling out once he noticed no one was backing him up anymore. Then, he reverted to staring at them, Chuck more than Larry, whenever they were in the same room. What sucked even worse was that the new guy, Fred G. Duncan, (he wasn’t so new now) wasn’t sticking up for them. Throughout the entirety of this, he’d been threatening anyone who gave Chuck and Larry as much as a wrong look. And when he hugged Chuck, crying, and confessed he was also gay, Chuck wasn’t surprised at all. </p><p>Renaldo’s dark stares irked Chuck so much, making him shift and twitch under his gaze. </p><p>Everyone was sitting in the station's little living room, playing a round of poker, others just sitting and talking, waiting for the next emergency to call them away. Everyone except Duncan. He was God knows were. Chuck and Larry were playing poker, along with Renaldo and a few other guys. Everything was going fine until Larry slung his arm on the back of the couch around Chuck. Renaldo stood up abruptly, making some half-assed excuse about needing something from his locker, and left. It was ridiculous! Larry hadn’t meant it that way, wasn’t playing up their gayness. He wasn’t even touching Chuck! He’d always done this when they played poker here, and no one questioned it then. For Larry, it was a simple way of distracting Chuck for a split second so he could get a sneak peek at his cards, though he wouldn’t tell anyone that. But apparently, their current status changed that for Renaldo, even though no one else batted an eye. </p><p>“The fuck’s his problem?” one of the guys asked aloud after Renaldo stormed out of the room. It was the last straw for Chuck. He threw his cards on the table and got up to go to the locker rooms. </p><p>“Where are you going?” Larry asked, a warning in his voice. </p><p>“I’m just going to go talk to him,” Chuck said, keeping his voice casual. Larry shouted something after him, but Chuck was already out of the room. He clenched his fists tightly as he quietly opened the locker room door. He didn’t want to barge in. He was hoping to sneak up on Renaldo, catch him off guard. He stopped when he heard two voices, hushed, one of the soothing and the other bitter and sullen. </p><p>“It’s just so hard, seeing them.” That was Renaldo. And could Chuck detect a hint of… jealousy in his voice? “Why am I so fucking pathetic? God, I feel like an idiot.” </p><p>Chuck peered around a row of lockers. Renaldo was pacing, tugging stressfully at his hair. On his face was the most stricken expression Chuck had ever seen, someone filled with so much self-loath, regret, and anger. Chuck was about to leave, the overwhelming feeling that he was intruding on something he shouldn’t see, but stayed when he noticed Fred leaning against the lockers, arms crossed over his chest. </p><p>“You’re not pathetic, Ren. And you’re not an idiot,” Fred persuaded. Renaldo looked doubtfully at Fred.</p><p>“Of course I am, Fred! They think I <em>hate </em>them, and I kind of do, but for so <em>long, </em>Fred! So <em>long. He acts like nothing ever happened!</em> And I'm just acting like a scared, pathetic, pitiful, idiot. I should have caught on sooner.”</p><p>“Enough! I will not let you talk about yourself like this,” Fred asserted, pushing off of the lockers. He approached Renaldo, wrapping his arms around his waist, and pulling him in close. Chuck’s mouth gaped open like a fish. He shouldn’t be seeing this, but his feet were glued to the floor. He watched as Renaldo put his arms around Fred, allowing himself to be held. Fred was now whispering into his ear while Renaldo buried his face into Fred’s neck. Chuck couldn’t hear, but he was sure that it was words of reassurance, similar to what Larry had whispered to him. Only when Fred pulled Renaldo back a bit to place a soft kiss on his mouth did Chuck find his legs working again.</p><p>He walked slowly out of the locker room, closing the door silently behind him as to not make noise and alert them. Renaldo would kill him if he knew Chuck saw.</p><p>Chuck couldn’t believe it. He was just jealous? Envious of Larry's and his fake relationship? It started making sense to Chuck, the stares that were not ones of disgust and hate but simple longing. </p><p>Chuck made it successfully back to the poker game that was still going on, sitting back down next to Larry. </p><p>“Jesus, Chuck, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” someone teased. Chuck ignored whoever it was, picking up the cards that were dealt to him with shaky hands. </p><p>“Are you okay?” Larry asked, leaning in closer to him, voice filled with concern. He probably thought this was about something else. </p><p>“I’ll tell you about it later,” he murmured back. Larry backed off, noting the slight shock and disbelief in his voice. Not someone having a mental breakdown, but someone who had a juicy secret best told in private.</p><p>“Did you give him hell?” someone asked, although he didn’t remember who. He was still replaying the scene in his head. </p><p>“Nope,” Chuck responded, keeping his voice as even as possible. “Didn’t find him.”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>Later that night, with the kids tucked away and sleeping, Chuck told Larry what he saw. If felt a little wrong, doing so, but he needed to tell someone. His brain was shut off for the rest of the day, still trying to process what he had seen. When he finished telling Larry, pacing the floor, and making wild gestures with his hands, Larry’s jaw was wide open, much like Chuck’s had been.</p><p>“You’re kidding. You have to be!” Larry whisper shouted, as to not wake the kids. </p><p>“I’m not. They <em>kissed, </em>Larry. I saw it with my own two eyes!” Chuck said, trying to mask the grin on his face with a serious expression. </p><p>“Renaldo.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“The Renaldo from work?” </p><p>“<em>Yes, </em>Larry.”</p><p>“Kissing the new guy, Duncan. Fred?” </p><p>“Jesus Christ, yes, Larry! Would I lie about this? You know what, don’t answer that.”</p><p>Larry still looked unconvinced, his mind processing it, trying to picture it. “But the way he-? How he treated… Well damn. You sure you didn’t just imagine it?” </p><p>“Yes, Larry, I’m sure. Should I have taken a picture?” </p><p>“Of course not! You should have just left, Chuck,” Larry said, suddenly scolding him.</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“It was private.”</p><p>Chuck scoffed, looking at Larry with utter disbelief. “You can’t be serious. Are you <em>actually </em>scrutinizing me right now? You wouldn’t have been able to leave either. You weren’t there, Lar. It was… it was just <em>wow.</em>” </p><p>Larry contemplated that for a few seconds before sighing. “You’re probably right. It makes sense, doesn’t it? I always thought Renaldo…" he trailed off. "You know what, never mind. I’m going to bed.” Larry started rifling through the closet, searching for clean pajamas, pretending like he didn't say anything.</p><p>“What?” </p><p>Larry just shook his head as he made his way to the bathroom. Chuck jumped in the doorway, blocking Larry's way. “Come on, Lar! You can’t just leave it at that. You got me curious!”</p><p>Larry stared in his eyes before deadpanning, “I always thought Renaldo had a crush on you.” Chuck laughed but stopped when he realized Larry was being serious.</p><p>“No way, man. No,” Chuck paused, thinking. “Why?” Larry was looking at him like he wanted Chuck to drop it, but how could he? You couldn't just drop that on a guy.</p><p>“You’ve never noticed the way he looked at you? How he’s always been a dick to me? Dude, I’ve <em>seen </em>him flirt with you before.” Larry was looking at him like these were the most obvious things in the world. Chuck was baffled. Renaldo never flirted with him! He never liked him! They were friends, work friends at that! </p><p>“Then why has he been so mean to me?”</p><p> Larry snorted like he couldn’t believe Chuck couldn’t figure it out. Chuck was piecing it together every which way in his mind and still couldn’t make sense of it. “He probably got pissed because he had a chance but missed it. Now can you please move?” </p><p>Chuck moved from the doorway, forgetting he was there. Before Larry closed the bathroom door, Chuck called out one more question still on his mind. </p><p>“Shouldn’t he be mad at you instead?” </p><p>Larry turned around, still looking at Chuck like he was an idiot. “You flirted <em>back, </em>Chuck,” he said before closing the door. Chuck pondered this. He never flirted with Renaldo! Right?</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>After about an hour of lying awake in bed, Chuck finally understood what Larry said. Trying to recall every interaction he’s ever had with Renaldo, spanning back years, Chuck realized he <em>had </em>been flirting back. Well, more like harmless banter. At least that’s what he thought it was. But now, he could see why Renaldo might have taken it differently. He might have even thought they were going somewhere with it. And then Renaldo had, along with everyone else at work, found out that Chuck and Larry got married. </p><p>Chuck felt bad. How that must have felt, being strung along, even though Chuck hadn't realized he'd been stringing him along. Chuck had the sudden urge that he needed to apologize, to explain himself. But how could he do that without exposing the whole operation? </p><p>Pieces of the conversation came flooding back. He had barely caught any words, being too entranced with what he was <em>seeing. </em>But in fragments, he could hear them again, being replayed. <em>“for so long,” “…feel like an idiot,” “so hard seeing them.” </em></p><p>Not only was he jealous of seeing two people confidently “out,” he was mad that it was particularly Chuck and Larry. Chuck more so. </p><p>If he could just talk to him… </p><p>For now, Chuck shoved it all out of his mind. Tomorrow he'd think of something. Right now was time for sleep.</p><p>***</p><p>
  <em>(Getting some of Renaldo’s POV throughout all of this. It’s only fair.)</em>
</p><p>Renaldo was in his living room apartment, splayed out on Fred’s lap. He was nursing a beer and feeling sorry for himself as they watched TV. He was barely paying attention though, instead, going over everything that had happened in the last month or so. </p><p>When he had found out the Chuck and Larry had gotten married, he was surprised and angry. Mostly angry. What had been going on between them had only been harmless flirting. Not even that! And Renaldo had forced himself not to read into it too much. Because nothing would happen. Chuck was as straight as an arrow. Probably didn’t even realize what was going on or being said. I mean, he was always kind of like that with everyone, right? </p><p>But their marriage technically meant that he had had a chance at some point. Chuck wasn’t straight. And maybe being attracted to men was only a recent development in Chuck’s life, but Renaldo couldn’t help but feel slightly betrayed. </p><p>But he had Fred now. Ever since the firefighter transferred to their station, he had been Renaldo’s rock. It wasn’t long before his feelings for Chuck withered out and were replaced with ones for Fred. And he liked Fred, liked being around him. He liked how different Fred was in private. When he wasn’t acting all tough and scary. He was actually a big teddy bear when you got to know him, and Renaldo loved seeing that side of him. He was sweet, caring, tender, and pulled on Renaldo’s heartstrings oh so beautifully. His rock-hard abs and muscular body helped too.</p><p>And yes, he wanted to tell people about their relationship <em>so badly, </em>but a small part of him held back. The part that was still a small child, trembling underneath his father's cruel presence. The one that told him he was weak, stupid, not good enough, a <em>fag. </em>There would always be that part, causing him to flinch when a door was slammed a little too harshly, or when someone went to pat him on the back or shake his hand with quick movements. Even with his father long gone, drinking himself deep into the grave, he felt his life would always be controlled a little by his hateful ghost hands.</p><p>“What are you thinking about?” Fred’s voice drew him out of his mind, and Fred pressed a chaste kiss to his temple. Renaldo curled into him, beating back the thoughts of his father with the mental image of a broomstick.</p><p>“Nothing.” </p><p>Fred didn't believe him but dropped it. He held onto Renaldo a little tighter, both of them eventually falling asleep while the TV played late into the night and early morning.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope y'all liked it! I added some of Renaldo's POV for some backstory. I realized I was making him more of a bad guy than everyone else and needed a reason. Chapter five should be out later next week or early the week after. I regret naming the first few chapters because now I have no idea what to call them. Any ideas?</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Revelations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope this chapter being out so soon after the last one is a good treat for you guys. I had monster energy and totally sped run this chapter. Along with finishing this chapter, it also made me bust out an original song? I should drink it more often, but I'm only allowed one of them a month. Hope I'm not rambling, still pretty hopped up.<br/>Anyways, enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next day, Chuck cornered Renaldo in the station’s kitchen. Chuck had stood outside the room for a good 30 seconds, hands fidgeting, before building up the confidence to enter the room. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Renaldo was busying himself with making a cup of coffee, shoulders tensing as he saw Chuck come into the room. He made to exit the room, but Chuck quickly blocked his path.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Wait, uh, can I- can I talk to you? Just for a minute?” Chuck asked sheepishly. Renaldo hesitated before jerkily nodding his head. Whenever any sort of confrontation happened between them, Renaldo had expected Chuck to sound angry. He probably thought he was a homophobic piece of shit with the way he’s been acting, but right now, Chuck just seemed nervous, like he was choosing every word very carefully.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, see, uh, I kinda saw you and Fred. In the locker room.”  </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Renaldo’s mouth gaped open, but before he could say anything, Chuck rambled on, eyes glued to the ground. “And I heard what you were saying, and uh, I told Larry-sorry about that- and he helped me understand that I might have been, uh, leading you on or something? And, uh, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. If I did.” He finished speaking, looking at Renaldo’s face for any giveaway of emotion. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Renaldo quickly schooled his initial reaction of shock and a little bit of fear. He looked awkwardly at his cup of coffee that he was squeezing tightly in his hands. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s fine, Chuck. Thank you,” he whispered. His knee-jerk reaction was to deny, deny, deny, but that was pointless now. Chuck had seen them together. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It was stupid of me. I didn’t even realize I was…” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Renaldo was pretty sure that sentence could have been finished several ways, but he was sure he knew what Chuck meant. He hadn’t realized he was even flirting. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah, no, I know.” Renaldo took a sip of his coffee, burning his tongue a little. “Kind of always knew it would never go anywhere,” he said, chuckling. Chuck looked confused but less awkward. Even now, they were becoming more comfortable around each other.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Chuck could’ve sworn Larry said that Renaldo would have thought he ‘missed his chance’ so to say. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Larry? I don’t know when you got together, but you’ve been head over heels in love with him for years. I mean, you married the guy, didn’t you? Even when Paula was still around, the way you looked at him. I don’t know. I knew I could never stand a chance.” </p>
<p>Chuck still looked confused, but he stepped out of Renaldo’s way. Renaldo looked oddly back at him as he left the room, leaving Chuck to stand awkwardly in the kitchen. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chuck stared at the door as it closed behind Renaldo, weighing his words. What did he mean? And if he had been so obviously in love with Larry, wouldn’t everyone else have noticed? Or was it something only other gay’s could notice? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He had only recently been flirting with the idea that he <em>might </em>love Larry, keyword <em>recently.  </em>Was this not a new development? I mean sure, Chuck had always liked being Larry’s best friend. He enjoyed spending time with him. He liked his personality. He was a much better person than Chuck, and sometimes Chuck wondered why Larry stuck around. He could probably find much better friends. It would kill him if he did, but he wouldn’t blame him for it. He could barely imagine it, not spending time with Larry, never being around him again. He was the one constant in Chuck’s life. He remembers the sick feeling he got when he pictured if it had been Larry who almost fell from the beam. Larry saving him had been the whole reason this thing started. Chuck owed him his life. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But what if it had been Larry who fell? Chuck is sure he wouldn’t have been able to save him. Larry would surely have died or gotten terribly injured. The sick feeling returned when he thought of losing Larry. He wouldn’t be able to function. It would feel like a gaping hole in his chest, in his life. He relied so much on Larry being around, even before now. He was a bright light, made Chuck’s life so much better, in which Chuck couldn’t possibly think of a future without him-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chuck’s brain halted to a stop. How could he have been so stupid? Of <em>course,  </em>he was in love with Larry! Couldn’t think of a future without him? That was what marriage was. What being in love was. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> I’m in love with Larry, I’m in love with Larry, I’m in love with Larry, I’m in love with Larry, I’m in love with Larry… </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chuck choked, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth. All of the feelings and emotions welling up inside him were causing him to panic. As good as it felt admitting it, even in his head, it also immensely <em>sucked.  </em> Chuck never really showed great bouts of emotion, and when he did, he <em>never </em>handled it well. Like in the club. After the club. When he told Larry he didn’t think he was entirely straight. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>But in those situations, it was safe to have a huge self-realization or at least a place to run to without getting in trouble about it. But right now he was at work. He couldn’t leave, could he? Maybe if he went to Larry, Larry could explain to Captain Turner the extremity of the situation, but Chuck didn’t think he could handle seeing him right now. He would just get more anxious, or worse, try to kiss him. God, Chuck was just grasping how much he wanted to <em>kiss  </em> Larry right now, to hold him, to <em>be </em>with him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Someone came into the room, but Chuck didn’t notice until they were speaking to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey there, Chuck. You okay, man? You’re shaking.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chuck doesn’t remember who it was because he immediately bolted. He needed to get out of there and would have to suffer the consequences if he got in trouble. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He ran through the hallways of the station in a haze until he successfully found the exit. He only passed a few people on his way out, all of them looking at him with concerned expressions. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once he was outside, he sprinted down the street, away from the station, away from Larry, until exhaustion forced him to stop. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He walked the streets without knowing where he was going, his feet taking him somewhere out of muscle memory. He was surprised when he ended up back at his own apartment, for the first time in weeks. He went to the door, mentally scolding himself when he remembered he didn’t carry the key with him anymore. Instead of looking for his backup key like a sane person, he leaned his back against the door and slumped onto the ground, closing his eyes. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He let the tears stream down his face, though that’s all he did for crying. Mostly he just felt sorry for himself. Oh, the luck he had. He knew now that he couldn’t stay around Larry anymore. He would need to call the whole thing off, distance himself for a bit. Or if that complicated things, he could lie and say his mother needed him home, take a vacation. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He let his mind go blank, sitting for what felt like hours, ignoring his phone blowing up with missed texts and calls from Larry until the battery eventually died. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Larry was freaking out. According to about three eyewitnesses, Chuck had run out of the station, looking frantic and pale. And now he wouldn’t answer his texts or calls. What had happened? Larry was worried sick and hated that he didn’t know what was going on and couldn’t help. The Captain had asked him if he knew what was wrong and if they should get the police involved. And Larry was honest to god not sure. Should he be worried for Chuck’s safety?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Larry informed the Captain that they didn’t need the police yet and that he would go and try to look for Chuck first. He called a neighborhood friend, asking if they could pick up Eric and Tori after school and watch them for a few hours, assuring that “yes, everything was fine!” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Larry sat in his parked car for a few minutes, hands clenching the steering wheel, making a game plan. Could Chuck have gone home? No. It was too far to walk from the station. Where else? Was he just wandering the streets? He could have gone to Alex’s, though there was a high chance she wasn’t home. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>His apartment. Bingo. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Larry started the car and drove to Chuck’s apartment, not needing a GPS. The route was ingrained in his brain having driven there thousands of times. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>It took longer to get there than usual, as there was a lot of traffic. Larry huffed angrily, getting more and more worried. Chuck wouldn’t do anything to himself, right? Sure, he’d been stressed out more than usual, but he had just started to calm down. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>God, if anything happened to Chuck, Larry would die. He couldn’t imagine living the rest of his life without Chuck. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once his head cleared, Chuck remembered he had a spare key hidden under the doormat. Now in his apartment, he got himself some water. It didn’t help to calm him down, so he moved on to something stronger. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He drank five beers that he miraculously still had in the fridge, then opted for whiskey. He only had two, just to give him a nice relaxing buzz. He still wanted to be able to think. Okay, maybe three glasses. Four. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He sat on the floor in his small kitchen, nicely drunk. Maybe in the morning, he wouldn’t remember any of this. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was startled by harsh knocking on the front door. He stayed where he was, ignoring it. It was probably just a Ms. Nelson, his nosey neighbor, wondering why he was back. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Chuck! You in there?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shit. It was Larry. He froze, staring at the door. He wouldn’t get up or make any noise. Pretend he wasn’t there. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Chuck?!?!” Larry yelled, followed by more banging on the door. He couldn’t get up, couldn’t see him right now, couldn’t, couldn’t, couldn’t- Chuck got up on shaky legs, ignoring his brain shouting at him to “abort, abort, abort!” He could still pretend, Larry hadn’t heard him, he could sit back down, wait until he left-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He dropped his whiskey glass. It shattered instantly, scattering across the floor. There was still a little whisky left, splattering on the floor and his feet. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Chuck? What was that? Chuck, <em> open the damn door!”  </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>“One second!” Chuck shouted-mumbled back, carefully avoiding the shards as he made his way to the door. His heart started beating in his chest. He felt like he was going to throw up, though the alcohol had nothing to do with it. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He swung open the door, coming face to face with Larry. Larry was about to barge in but stopped after seeing the state Chuck was in. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Jesus, Chuck, you look like hell. Have you been drinking?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No,” Chuck lied, though it wasn’t very convincing. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What broke?” Larry asked, coming into the apartment. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Dropped a glass.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Larry stared at him, lost at what to do. At last, he veered Chuck to the couch and immediately started picking up the broken glass and wiping up the whiskey. At some point, he had put a glass of water and two aspirin in front of Chuck on the coffee table. Chuck took them gratefully, momentarily forgetting why he was here in the first place. Why this was all happening. It was easy to forget when Larry was in his mama bear state, helping in whatever way he could. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When he was done cleaning up everything, Larry sat next to him on the couch, facing towards him. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What happened, Chuck?” Larry was using his serious voice, the one he used to get the kids to tell him the truth, to let them know he wasn’t messing around. Chuck gulped, turning away so he wasn’t facing him. Chuck knew Larry wouldn’t believe him if he said it was nothing, but he couldn’t tell the truth either. Chuck suddenly felt very nauseous, a mix of nerves and alcohol gurgling in his stomach. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He ran to the bathroom, almost missing the toilet. While he threw up, he could hear Larry follow him urgently. When there was nothing left in his stomach to hurl up, he sat kneeling over the toilet bowl shakily, practically hugging it. He could see two pill-sized shapes, most likely the aspirin. He felt a cool towel on his forehead and a hand on the back of his neck. He leaned back on his heels, pressing the towel to his head so Larry didn’t have to. When he did, he felt the hand leave the back of his neck, and then a second glass of water appeared in front of his face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He chugged it, glad to get rid of the sour taste in his mouth. He motioned it toward Larry who was crouched next to him, letting him take it from his hand. Larry got him more water before joining Chuck on the bathroom floor, also on his knees, leaning back on his heels. Chuck rubbed the towel down his face, wiping away the sweat. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m worried about you, Chuck.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chuck kept the towel pressed to his face so Larry wouldn’t see his reaction. He sounded so desperate, desperate for anything he could work with, anything he could do to help Chuck. Chuck felt his eyes brim with tears but knew he wouldn’t cry. With all the crying he’d done, he felt there were no tears left. He just felt lost, defeated, completely out of ideas of what to do. He looked at Larry and his pleading eyes. He offered a sad smile, dropping the towel to the floor. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know. I’m sorry.” He wanted so desperately to kiss away the concerned look on Larry’s face, but he knew he couldn’t. For one, he wouldn’t appreciate it after he just threw up, but he would also probably hate Chuck after. If he could just tell Larry he loved him, maybe the weight on his heart and shoulders would go away, even if he didn’t get a good reaction. Larry must have noticed the wistful look on his face, begging Larry to understand so he wouldn’t have to speak. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He leaned forward, looking hopeful. “What is it, Chuck? Please tell me. Please.” Chuck could feel Larry’s breath on his face, the heat emanating from his body. God, he was so close, he could just lean forward, close the gap, connect their lips…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Instead, he pressed his palms to his eyes, shaking his head. He stood up carefully, stumbling only a little. “I’m going to bed. I’m tired,” he said before leaving Larry on the bathroom floor, looking defeated. Chuck glimpsed his face as he walked away, completely understanding what his expression meant. If Chuck didn’t tell him, he would have no choice but to give up and let Chuck deal with whatever it was by himself. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Larry had followed Chuck out of the bathroom a few minutes later. He was scared. Scared of what was going on, scared he couldn’t help. What terrified him the most was the small smile Chuck had given him, filled with so much sorrow and blatant acceptance that whatever he was going through would be kept to himself. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When he checked on Chuck, he found him asleep. He looked so at peace. So calm. That would be ruined when he woke up. Larry felt obligated to stay but knew he couldn’t. Well, at least not forever. The kids would be getting picked up shortly, and the neighbors wouldn’t keep them for the night, even though the thought of leaving Chuck right now made him sick to his stomach. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Maybe once the kids were asleep later, he could come back. Or he could convince Chuck to come back home with him. He had little hope that that would be the case. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sighing, he left a glass of water and two more aspirin on Chuck’s nightstand. He would have a killer headache whenever he woke up. He saw the undissolved aspirin in the toilet, so he’d need more. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>His heart hurt for Chuck. He didn’t ever want him to be in pain the way he is now. Larry wishes he could make him happy every day, get rid of whatever internal suffering he was going through. It killed him to see someone he cared about so much being so severely tormented. Chuck didn’t need to tell Larry what he was going through, but it would be nice to know how to help. If he could, Larry would take all the pain and misery, even if it meant experiencing it himself. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>As he drove to the neighbors to get the kids, he thought about this, how he could fix it for Chuck, how he would do anything for him, how he would-</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It hit just now. Smacking him in the face like a wrecking ball. When was the last time he cared about someone this way? When he was married to Paula. When she was dying, he prayed night and day to get rid of all the pain and suffering. That “Please, god, take me instead.” How before that, whenever she was sad or angry, he felt the need to fill her life with joy, so she never had to feel that way again. Even when they first got together, that’s how he felt. The first time he ever felt something so strong like that. That’s how he knew he knew he was in love with her. How he knew he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life because her happiness made him happy. Made him feel complete. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>That’s what he was feeling for Chuck right now. So much love, so much need to care and protect him from the demons in this world. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Unlike Chuck, instead of shooting him into a panic, Larry parked the car, sat staring quietly, processed it, accepted it, and continued driving. Yes, it scared him a little, made him feel things he hadn’t felt in a long while… But the more he thought of it, the more obvious it was. Of course, he loved Chuck. Was in love with Chuck. Accepting it felt like coming home, felt comforting. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He didn’t care that Chuck was a man. All he saw was his best friend, the person who was there when his wife died, who fake married him so his kids would have a safety net if he died. He never thought of himself as attracted to men, but this was beyond sexuality. The only thing that was worrying him was what he would do about it. He couldn’t tell Chuck, at least not right now. He couldn’t dump something like this on him. Chuck was great at dealing with other people's feelings, let alone his own. And he was going through something, something majorly impacting his life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before Larry could start the car again, his phone rang. It was Renaldo. Larry forgot he ever added his number. He hung up, not wanting to deal with him right now. His phone rang again only seconds after. Renaldo again. Huffing in annoyance, he answered. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What do you want?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> “Hey, man. I just want to let you know I talked to Chuck before he ran out? I wanted to know If I had anything to do with it.”  </em>Renaldo sounded worried and guilty. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What did you talk about?” Larry demanded, entirely alert. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> “He apologized. Uh, I think you already know about what. Then I joked that I never had a chance in the first place because he’s been in love with you since, like, forever. Then he got a weird look on his face. I’m sorry if I-” </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Larry didn’t know what he said next because he hung up, turning on the car and swinging back around to Chuck’s apartment. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Larry wasn’t sure if it was the definite cause, but so far, whenever Chuck panicked or got anxious about something, it was because he figured something out about himself, something he didn’t like. So far, it had been about being bisexual. After they talked about it, he had gotten a little better, but something still seemed off. Was it this? Could Chuck be in love with him? Had it dawned on him when Renaldo mentioned him? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Larry swallowed down his worry, trying to keep his eyes focused on the road, but his mind kept wandering. He kept telling himself that it could be something completely different, to not get his hopes up but failed to keep his anxious excitement down. It was this that caused him to not see the red light. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He heard a loud horn beep, heard it get closer to him, could see the car coming towards him. It crashed into the passenger side, sending his car skidding into a lamp post. It was like time slowed. He could feel the car and himself being tossed, could feel his body being thrown forward, luckily kept in place by the seat belt. He could feel a searing pain in his left shoulder, in his ribs. The last thing he thought before he passed out from pain and shock was that he needed to talk to Chuck.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>***</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The ringing of Chuck’s phone woke him. He rubbed at his eyes groggily while unplugging his phone. At first, he didn’t recognize the caller ID but remember it was their neighborhood friends, the ones that the kids frequented most often.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hello?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> “This is Chuck, right?” </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yep,” he said, yawning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> “Larry was supposed to come by and pick up the kids half an hour ago, but never showed. I’ve tried calling him, but he won’t answer his phone.” </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chuck was suddenly awake, fear gripping his chest. “I don’t have the car with me, but if you drop the kids off at home in 20 minutes, I’ll be there.” Chuck didn’t wait for a response. He hung up, shoving his phone and wallet in his pockets before rushing outside. He hailed a cab, quickly told them the address, and fidgeted in his seat for the whole ride. He called and texted Larry a bunch of times, but he never answered. He left a few voice mails, each time the panic more evident in his voice. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>When they finally pulled up to the house, five minutes after the agreed-upon time, the neighbors were waiting in the driveway along with a police car. He ran out of the cab; glad he paid the driver beforehand. The neighbor, (Sarah Gelling he was just remembering) was talking to the officer. Eric and Tori were still in the car but jumped out when they saw him, running up to hug him. They both looked deathly scared as he knelt, hugging them tightly. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What’s happening, Dad?” Tori asked, her voice shaking. It was weird hearing her sound so fearful. She was always a tough kid, very hard to upset. She was close to tears, along with Eric. Chuck felt so much terrible dread, convinced something awful had happened, that he didn’t even realize she had called him dad. He was too sick with fear, wondering where Larry was. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t know, kiddo.” He looked up to see the officer walking towards him. He turned his attention back to the kids. “How about you kids go inside? I’ll tell you when I find out.” He sent them inside with his house key, standing up to face the officer. He vaguely recognized him as one of the officers the fire department occasionally worked with. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re Larry Valentine’s husband, correct?” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chuck nodded, not trusting himself with words. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mr. Valentine got into a car accident. He’s in the hospital right now. He’s okay but has sustained multiple injuries.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chuck’s breath caught in his throat.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Nonononono, this is all your fault, all your fault, if you hadn’t run out if you had just talked to him if you had just- </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sir? I asked if you need a ride to the hospital?” The officer's voice sounded nervous, and looking at him, Chuck realized he was just a kid. Probably early 20’s. Poor guy probably got the "easy" stuff. He nodded sharply. He noticed Mrs. Gelling was still in the driveway and walked up to her. He tried speaking but couldn’t seem to make the words come out. She nodded in understanding anyways.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ll stay with the kids. You go.” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>He managed a strained “thank you” before getting in the police car. They drove in silence, Chuck chewing at his fingernails. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>If he died. Oh god if Larry died. He made an involuntary choked gargle sound in his throat, body beginning to shake. Silently cursing himself, he could feel another panic attack settling in. This was not the time, but he couldn’t stop it. Only just now did he notice that he started crying. He was breathing so quickly, sharp, shallow breaths, but still felt like he couldn’t get enough oxygen. He did not need this right now, <em> did not need this right now.  </em>Suddenly, the seatbelt seemed very tight on his chest, constricting him, making him feel trapped. At this point, he was gasping for air. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sir, are you okay?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He looked over at the officer, having forgotten he was there. He shook his head violently, practically wrestling with the seat belt. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I can’t- I can’t breathe,” he managed to strangle out before promptly falling unconscious. His last, horrible thought was that if Larry did die, at least their marriage wasn’t for nothing. Also, how ironic it was that it had been because of him, and not their dangerous job.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter 5 done in record time! Hope you liked it. I suck at tags, probably have to edit them. Usually, when I start a new fic, I'm not always 100% sure where it's going so I'm constantly adding new tags, especially If I add sensitive material. Don't worry, this WILL have a happy ending. I'm writing this for me as much as for you guys, and I don't want to torture myself. The next chapter will probably take a lot longer to get out.<br/>Love you guys so much! (My veins are coursing with monster energy, I'm shaking, and feel like I can fight God. Caffeine is one hell of a drug.)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. For as Long as You'll Have Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Wow, we're actually getting somewhere with these two boys.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry, this chapter took weeks to get out. We were dog sitting at a friend's house for a week and I forgot my computer. Slight smut warning in this chapter though it isn't too vivid. Also, have you guys heard of Tom Waits? Super weird music, but I love it. </p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Chuck woke up, his head a vision were fuzzy, and it was like cotton balls were stuffed in his ears. He squinted, bright lights blinding his sensitive eyes. He blinked rapidly, the room slowly coming into focus. He startled, having not noticed the person hovering over him. It was a nurse holding a clipboard, and she had a disgustingly cheerful smile on her face. His brain was still a little foggy, but he was sure he was in a hospital. Looking around the room confirmed that fact. But why?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It all came flooding back, hitting him with sudden panic. Quickly, he sat up, looking frantically around for an exit.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh god, Larry. I have to-” he stopped talking, surprised at how gravelly his voice was. The skin on his throat hurt like he got a really bad sunburn. He knew it wasn’t a sunburn though because he could feel the pain on the inside of his throat as well.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” he asked, reaching a hand up to touch the tender skin on his neck.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You passed out in the police car. Good thing you were on your way to the hospital!” She joked. Suddenly, a plastic cup of water was in front of his face, and though he had more important things in mind, he drank gratefully.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t know you could pass out from panic attacks.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“People usually don’t. It’s very rare. But you </span>
  <em>
    <span>can </span>
  </em>
  <span>pass out from choking yourself on a seatbelt.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuck looked at her dumbfoundedly, wanting to know how he could be such an idiot for that to happen, but his mind quickly turned back to Larry. “When can I see him?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She looked down at her clipboard, clicking her pen while chewing at her bottom lip. “I guess you can go now. Though I will have some routine questions afterward.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded frantically, jumping out of the hospital bed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>As she led him down the halls of the hospital, his worrying increased. She had assured him countless times that yes, Larry was okay and was currently resting. Chuck had been out for a little less than an hour, and in that time, the doctors had gotten him stable. Chuck fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, glad they didn’t put him in a hospital gown.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Even though Larry was apparently fine, Chuck still stressed over what he would say. That is if Larry was even awake when he got there. He still didn’t know much about his current condition, but that barely mattered. Even if Larry had just broken an arm Chuck would still feel frightened and guilty.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>All of this had made Chuck sure of one thing. He had to tell Larry how he felt, even if the feelings weren’t reciprocated, because it would have killed him if Larry died without knowing. Even though Larry survived, it put things into perspective. Their job was dangerous, and every call they got, every emergency, there was a chance one of them wouldn’t come back alive.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They finally arrived at Larry’s room after what felt like hours but was really only five minutes. When he entered the room Chuck froze, taking in the state that Larry was in. His left shoulder was in a sling and multiple cuts and bruises spotted his face. He had a gash just above his left eye that cut through his eyebrow. It wasn’t too long, but it looked deep with definite potential for scarring. Chuck could see an ugly bump on his head.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Though his injuries were awful, Larry was talking to a doctor, not having noticed Chuck yet. Larry’s face was turned to the doctor, but Chuck could see a constant small grimace of pain on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He was still standing in the doorway when Larry turned to him. When Larry saw him, his face lit up with happiness and he smiled brightly. He didn’t deserve that look of absolute admiration and adoration.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor stood from his chair, giving Larry a final assessing look.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I assume your Mr. Levine?” the doctor said with slight disapproval. If Chuck weren’t so consumed with a concoction of relief, guilt, and fear, he’d most likely pick a fight. The doctor walked toward him, pausing and motioning Chuck out of the doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry,” he mumbled. The doctor moved to walk by him but stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“He fractured his shoulder and sustained a mild concussion. Trust me, it is mild. The bump looks worse than it is. Call a nurse if you need anything.” The doctor left before he could ask anything, closing the door and leaving him and Larry alone in the room.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>His feet began moving of their own accord, taking him across the room and stopping at the side of Larry’s bed. It was like his conscience finalized a decision for him, taking complete control of his actions. Blood rushed in his ears, and all he knew was that he needed to do something to tell Larry that he was sorry and that he loved him more than he’d loved anyone else in the world.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Time moved in slow motion. He placed a hand on the side of Larry’s face, rubbing his thumb across his cheek. Larry leaned into it, closing his eyes, and sighing before bringing his own hand up and wrapping it around Chuck’s wrist, holding onto him tightly. Chuck leaned down, his face impossibly close to Larry’s, before carefully connecting their lips. It started off soft and chaste, Chuck being warry of Larry’s injuries, but then Larry yanked him down on the edge of the bed to pull him closer.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Larry took the initiative to deepen the kiss, though he kept it long and slow. It was so passionate, and Chuck poured all of his emotions and feelings into it, trying to express everything he’d been wanting to say for weeks, possibly years.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When they pulled back for air, resting their foreheads together, they both laughed, content and happy.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” Chuck whispered.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What for?” Larry said, pulling back to look Chuck in the eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Just… everything.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Larry took his hand, bringing it up to his mouth to press a soft kiss to it. “There is no reason to blame yourself for anything,” Larry said with such finality in his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I’m to blame! I’ve been such a burden this entire time, and if I hadn’t left the station if you hadn’t come to find me… You could have died, Larry. And that would have been my fault. Your injuries are my fault.” Chuck put his head down, pretending to be interested in something on the floor.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Chuck. Look at me.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If it had been anyone else, Chuck would have kept his gaze averted, but the soft way Larry was speaking to him… It crumbled all walls he’d put up around himself. He raised his head slightly, just enough to meet Larry’s eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It </span>
  <em>
    <span>is not </span>
  </em>
  <span>your fault. I chose to come and find you. I got distracted, and I didn’t see the red light. It had absolutely nothing to do with you, and I’m not arguing about it. And you are definitely </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>a burden. You being around has made me the happiest I’ve been in years. Okay? I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuck froze, unsure how to respond. He tried to speak, but his throat wouldn’t let him. At this moment, Chuck was feeling so much unfiltered happiness and joy. Larry loved him, and his brain decided to short circuit in the worst time possible. Larry must’ve mistaken his silence for something else.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t expect you to say it back, but-”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuck cut him off by crashing their lips together, and when they pulled apart, resting their foreheads together once again, Chuck found his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too. God, I love you so much Larry, you have no idea.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They kissed more, for so long Chuck was unsure how much time had passed. So many emotions were bubbling up inside him, and for the first time in a long while, he felt content with them. For once, he wasn’t afraid of his future, because now he had Larry at his side.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He cradled Larry’s face gently with both hands, peppering small kisses on his lips, whispering “I love you” between each one. Now that he could say it, now that he felt comfortable saying it, it’s all he wanted to do along with kissing him. It was becoming his favorite thing in the world. He only stopped when a funny thought popped into his head. If they were a couple (and God, Chuck hoped they were now) they would be starting off their relationship already married. He laughed, giggling against Larry’s lips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Larry asked curiosity in his eyes, a grin cracking his face. “What are you laughing at?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s nothing. It’s just-”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>There was a knock on the door, almost causing Chuck to jump back until he realized he didn’t need to. The nurse popped her head in the door, looking apologetic.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, your kids are here.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuck leaned back up away from Larry’s face, spine popping from the awkward position.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Send them in,” Larry said for him. Chuck got off the bed, moving to sit in the chair instead. He took Larry’s hand, interlacing their fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>If the kids noticed anything different between them, they didn’t say anything about it. The marriage was real to the kids, though up until now, Chuck and Larry were never touchy-feely, so Chuck was worried they would say something about it. He wasn’t too worried about it because he was busy being happy. He had a feeling they would have to talk about them sometime in the near future, but right now, they could just relish in each other’s company.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He knew the conversation was inevitable, but that didn’t stop Chuck from hating the idea of it. He wasn’t sure where he stood with Larry now. Larry seemed to have reciprocated the feelings Chuck had, but were they real? Larry had just gotten in a </span>
  <em>
    <span>car accident, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and the doctor said he had a mild concussion. He was also probably on some pretty strong pain meds, though to Chuck he seemed normal.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuck and the kid's visit to the hospital wasn’t technically during visiting hours, so they were informed 30 minutes into their visit that they would have to leave soon.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Why do we have to leave?” Tori complained once the nurse left the room, pulling her pouty face. “I thought family was </span>
  <em>
    <span>allowed </span>
  </em>
  <span>to stay!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! Why can’t we stay?” Eric added, backing up his sister.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You see kids, your dad needs to rest, so he can heal. He can’t do that while he’s talking to you two, can he? And don’t you want him to get better?” Chuck said though he felt like a hypocrite while saying it. He also did not want to leave, though he knew it was probably for the best. Larry’s eyelids were drooping, and he’d already nodded off a few times. “We can come back tomorrow. How does that sound?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The kids groaned but complied, hopping down from Larry’s bed. It was starting to get late, and even the kids were half asleep. Chuck took the chance to talk to Larry while the kids were waiting by the door.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be okay?” Chuck asked, standing from the stool.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be okay. I have the doctors,” Larry said through a giant yawn. Chuck leaned down, pressing a kiss to Larry’s forehead before giving his hand a squeeze.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll be here tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Larry tried nodding but only managed the smallest movement as he fell asleep. Chuck walked to where he found Tori sitting against the wall, dead asleep, and Eric in a similar state but standing and leaning against the wall. He knelt down and picked her up bridal style, carrying her out of the room. She must have been extremely tired because she barely stirred. Eric was a little better, being older and not being affected by the late hour as much.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When they stepped outside of the hospital, Chuck was surprised to see Sarah Gelling’s empty car in a visiting parking space, putting his phone back in his pocket, as he was just about to call a cab.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Chuck!” a familiar voice called from behind them. He turned to see Sarah Gelling carrying what seemed to be an armload of sandwiches from the Subway close to the hospital and two cups of coffee. “I thought you guys might be hungry, so I got some food.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Tori blinked her eyes open, awake at the prospect of food. He set her down, though she and Eric were still like zombies.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You didn’t have to do that, Sarah. But thanks.” Chuck could hear the exhaustion in his voice. “I owe you a big one.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it’s nothing! If you need anything at all, just ask. Now, kids. I’ve got a meatball and ham and cheese, and a steak and cheese for dad.” She knelt down, letting the kids choose their subs before handing Chuck his own along with a coffee. “Now, come on. I’ll drive you all home.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>They drove in silence, the kids barely eating their subs before falling asleep, leaning against each other in the back seats. Chuck was able to stay awake, thanks to the coffee.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>When they got home, Sarah helped bring the kids inside and put them to bed. He paused in the doorway while seeing her out.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you sure there’s no way I can repay you?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>She turned to him halfway down the steps, chuckling lightly and shaking her head. “If I think of something, I’ll ask. Now go to sleep. You’ve had a rough day.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuck listened to her instructions, passing out as soon as his head hit his pillow.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Larry only needed to stay in the hospital for a few more days before being released, and every day, Chuck and the kids visited. School was finishing up soon, so the principal let them have an early summer vacation since for the last few days they wouldn’t be doing any actual work.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>The doctors informed both Chuck and Larry that Larry should stay home for about six weeks for his fractured shoulder and that in that time, his concussion should be gone as well. All in all, Larry would be fine, though he should wait a bit longer than six weeks to go back to work. When he did go back to work, he’d have to take it easy, not doing anything too demanding on his shoulder. Chuck would have been outraged at this, but Larry accepted it, happy to have a small vacation, even under the circumstances.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was a few days after Larry got home, and he and Chuck were lying in bed, both unable to sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What were you laughing about before? Before Eric and Tori interrupted,” Larry asked, from where he was propped up against a mountain of pillows to keep his shoulder comfortable. Chuck had been afraid Larry would ask because it may mean they had to talk about what they were. What “us” meant for them.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>So far, things hadn’t been how he thought they would. Whenever they were alone together, it was like the world around them was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen so it could release. It had all been fine at the hospital, but it was like whatever was happening between them dissipated when Larry came home. Chuck knew they should probably talk about it, but Larry had only been home for a few days, and honestly, Chuck was looking for an excuse at every turn. What would happen if they talked? If they defined whatever it was between them? When Larry said I love you, did he mean it at the same level Chuck did? Was it a spur-of-the-moment thing, was it influenced by his concussion? If they defined it, would it turn into something less than what Chuck wanted?</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it was nothing. Just forget about it.” Chuck tried passing it off, but Larry must have heard the apprehension in his voice.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on, Chuck. It couldn’t have been nothing, not with the way you’ve been acting.” Larry sounded like he was trying to tease, though it took on a more serious tone.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“How have I been acting?” Chuck asked, playing aloof though he was pretty sure he knew what Larry was getting at.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been distant. It’s like you’re avoiding me. Do you regret it?” Larry’s voice quivered with fear as he spoke. Though he didn’t say it, Chuck knew what Larry was talking about. He sat up, turning on his bedside lamp before facing Larry. Apparently, he was doing this now.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I don’t regret it!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Then tell me what’s wrong!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m scared, Larry!”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Scared of wha-”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It was too late for Larry to say anything because it was like the flood gates opened on all of Chuck’s insecurities and they all came tumbling out.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What if you didn’t mean it? What if you changed your mind? You got a concussion; you were on strong pain meds… Did you even know what you were saying? And if you did, did you mean it as much as I did? I-I just don’t know what’s going </span>
  <em>
    <span>on </span>
  </em>
  <span>between us, it’s like, we were best friends, then fake married, and then now what? How do we move on from here?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Slow down for a seco-”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m just-I’m scared that we want different things from this and it will just ruin everything, and I’ll have to quit and move away and-”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuck was cut off by a pair of lips pressing against his own. He melted into them, remembering to be careful with Larry’s shoulder. Larry pulled away but kept their faces close together.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Chuck, when I said I love you, I meant it. If I remember correctly I said it first. And of </span>
  <em>
    <span>course, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I mean it. I want to be with you, Chuck. For as long as you’ll have me.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuck kissed him deeply, hoping to convey his emotions. When he pulled back, he hugged Larry tightly and whispered in his ear. “So, like… Are we starting off married? Feel like we kinda missed a few steps.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Larry burst out laughing, shaking against him. Larry pulled back, wiping tears off his face, Chuck breaking out in a grin.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that what you were laughing about before?” Larry asked, and Chuck was barely able to understand him.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Larry’s laughter died down, and he actually began mulling it over.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“I guess we kind of have to, right? I mean unless we want to go to prison. It would be kinda suspicious to get a divorce and say, ‘oh yeah it was fake, but now we’re actually together and are trying to start from the beginning, so we got divorced.’”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you’re right.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course I am,” Larry teased before yawning. “Can we go to bed now? I have a full day of doing nothing ahead of me.”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuck turned off his bedside before turning over and curling into Larry’s side, thankful he fractured his left shoulder so he could cuddle without hurting Larry. He slipped into a comfortable sleep, for once not thinking of any problems he had for the first time in weeks.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>It had been a week since their conversation and everything was going great. They slipped into marriage easily, which wasn’t a huge surprise to Chuck. They had already been good at that before, but now he got to kiss and hug and cuddle Larry almost whenever he wanted. The only thing that hadn’t been discussed or acted upon was the… sexual component of their relationship. Chuck wasn’t worried about doing things like that with Larry, per se, it was more that Larry was a man. It’s not that he was grossed out by it or thought it would be weird, he was just so nervous to move forward in that direction.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He knew they wouldn’t go all the way </span>
  <em>
    <span>immediately, </span>
  </em>
  <span>seeing that Larry was still injured and they had </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>gotten together, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t do anything. And while he was nervous, he also hadn’t had sex in a while- for him, it was a while- and he found himself getting incredibly horny way too easily. Especially since he had to help Larry change his clothes and occasionally help him in the bathroom. He still remembers running into the bathroom finding a </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>naked Larry clutching his shoulder in pain after he bumped it while getting out of the shower. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>a good thing that Larry got hurt, but that didn’t stop Chuck from getting semi.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Along with his “dry spell” and being tortured constantly by Larry, he also hadn’t jacked off in a while, having other things occupying his mind that made it almost impossible to get himself turned on.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>And of course, he didn’t know how to bring any of this up without embarrassing himself. Fortunately, he didn’t have to </span>
  <em>
    <span>say </span>
  </em>
  <span>anything.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuck got woken up by someone shaking his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Chuck. Chuck! Are you okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuck opened his eyes, momentarily blinded by Larry’s bedside lamp.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m fine. What’d you have to wake me up for?” he said, looking at the time on his phone.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You were moaning and moving in your sleep. Kept kneeing me in the leg. Did you have a nightmare or something?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What? No, I did-” Chuck stopped talking, his dream coming back to him. And it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely </span>
  </em>
  <span>not a nightmare.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>In his dream, he heard a yell coming from the bathroom, similar to the one in real life. He rushed in, but unlike real life, he didn’t find Larry clutching his arm in pain, but could hear… sounds coming from the shower. He nudged open the curtain, just enough to see what was going on. He could see Larry, no longer with a sling, back pressed against the wall of the shower. He was gleaning with water and covered in sudsy soap and he was, well, to put it bluntly, jacking off, eyes closed.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Larry then peaked open an eye and looked directly at Chuck. He smirked and motioned Chuck in. Chuck went to remove the clothes he was certain he was wearing but found himself already naked. He stepped in the shower, heart pounding with anticipation. Once he was inside, Larry grabbed him by the shoulders, spinning them around so Chuck was the one with his back against the wall. Larry smashed their lips together in a passionate, hungry kiss. Hands roamed Chuck’s body, starting at his neck and moving down to his waist until Larry reached between his legs and-</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Chuck!” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>A voice pulled him back to reality, and Chuck flushed when he realized he was thinking about his wet dream about Larry </span>
  <em>
    <span>next </span>
  </em>
  <span>to Larry.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ve been staring off into space for like five minutes! Are you sure you’re okay?” Larry reached out and squeezed his shoulder, which made Chuck flush even more. He was hoping the lamp was bright enough so Larry could see the redness on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh, y-yeah, yeah. I’m just… gonna go to the bathroom. You can go back to sleep,” Chuck stuttered out, getting off the bed and strategically leaving the room so Larry wouldn’t see his </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>visible boner. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely </span>
  </em>
  <span>picked the wrong night to wear boxers, but it had been hot that day.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Apparently, he didn’t hide it good enough, because before he could make it out the door, Larry spoke again.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Chuck. Is that a- is that a boner?” Larry said through laughter. Chuck turned around, putting his hands in front of his groin even though there wasn’t really a point in doing so anymore. It just made him look more suspicious, and Larry had already seen.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Chuck said, and oh boy, if Larry couldn’t see his furious blushing before, he definitely could now. Chuck tried backing out of the room but was met with the door. He turned to open it and run to the bathroom, maybe to drown himself in the tub so he would never have to face Larry again.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, Chuck! Aw, don’t go, I’m just teasing. Come back here. Maybe I can help,” Larry said suggestively, his voice taking on a certain gravelly quality that sent a shudder down Chuck's spine.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Chuck turned back around hesitantly, halfheartedly covering himself as he slowly walked back toward the bed. Larry was sitting on the edge of the bed and he patted the spot beside him, smirking just like he did in Chuck’s dream. Chuck sat down, excitement and nerves coursing through his body.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Larry slung his good arm around Chuck's shoulders and dragged him into a deep kiss. They made out for a bit, and Chuck was so distracted by Larry’s tongue in his mouth that he didn’t notice when Larry’s arm disappeared from his shoulders and his hand reappeared on his thigh until it slipped under his waistband.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Larry’s fingers lightly wrapped around his hard-on, giving a few experimental tugs. Chuck gasped, breaking from the kiss, and burying his head into the crook of Larry’s neck.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>While Larry got him off, he mouthed wet kisses to Larry’s neck in between moans, trying to silence the filthy sounds as to not wake the kids.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Soon, Chuck felt a familiar warmth and tightness in the pit of his stomach. Larry must have noticed him getting close because the hand around his dick sped up and his fingers tightened. With a final loud moan that he muffled by biting Larry’s shoulder, Chuck came harder than he ever had from a hand job. He slumped against Larry, completely spent, exhaustion seeping into his bones. He could have fallen asleep right there but was woken by Larry shifting.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>“C’mon. Get cleaned up then we can go to bed,” Larry whispered into his ear. Chuck reluctantly got up, tossing his hardening underwear in the laundry basket, and getting fresh ones before climbing back into bed. Like every night, he pressed into Larry’s side, wrapping an arm around his waist, and snuggling close.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>He fell asleep satisfied and excited for the other things they would do in the near future.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yay! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The seventh one should be out soon. We're reaching the end of this story here folks! Only a few more chapters to go. After this is done I may turn it into a series and just have random fluffy or smutty one-shots about them after everything happens.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope this chapter is out sooner than the last one. Also, I'm giving up on naming the chapters. It's too hard. I'm basically done with school for the year, so you can expect more frequent updates. </p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was the beginning of August, and Larry was getting his shoulder sling taken off soon. The doctors had already informed them that the concussion should no longer be a problem, and to just take it easy with the shoulder for a week or so. So, even though Larry was getting his sling off soon, he and Chuck both agreed it would be best to wait for just a little while longer before going back to work.</p><p> </p><p>Ever since Larry had been stuck at home, Chuck would come back from his shift most days and tell him “work was fine,” as he felt guilty that Larry was getting the longest vacation he’s had in years and couldn’t do anything fun. Larry knew what he was doing but never said anything because he didn’t want Chuck to worry. And he wasn’t <em>that </em>miserable.</p><p> </p><p>It was sort of a blessing in disguise. There couldn’t have been a better time to get into a car accident. It was the first summer in a long while where he got to spend so much time with the kids. Sure, he had always saved up his vacation days so they could take a trip during the summer, but now he got to see them almost every day.</p><p> </p><p>Their lovely neighbor Sarah was still helping out with the kids and Larry couldn’t be more grateful. She was becoming a very close friend. Since he couldn’t drive with his sling, sometimes she’d take them out to a nearby public pool, a park, or even just inviting the kids over to play with her own. She was a godsend because she always came by and offered around the time Larry’s pain meds were kicking in and he became groggy.</p><p> </p><p>What got on Larry’s nerves was that she refused any payment for her help, insisting that “no, you are not taking advantage of me.” Larry was sure to slip a 20 in her wallet when she accidentally left her purse. He wasn’t surprised to find it back on the counter after she dropped off the kids when he was in his med-induced nap.</p><p> </p><p>As his shoulder healed, sometimes he would come out with them on their excursions, more so when he started taking fewer pills. On one of their outings to the park, they ran into Alex. Larry introduced Alex and Sarah to each other, and then Sarah went to supervise the kids and let Alex and Larry talk.</p><p> </p><p>“So, how have you been? Besides the car accident I mean,” she asked as they sat on a park bench.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, you know. Could be better. Glad I get to see the kids more often. So far, I’ve been able to go to every one of Tori’s soccer games,” he said, smiling as he remembered the last one. Some boys had been poking fun about a girl playing soccer and she tackled one of them to the ground and kneed him in the gut. </p><p> </p><p>“That’s great! How’s Chuck been?”</p><p> </p><p>“Tired. He’s picked up a few extra shifts at work to cover the medical bill, what with me not working.” Larry felt like he barely ever saw Chuck anymore, but when he did, it was always <em>amazing, </em>if you get what I mean. They were getting more adventurous in their “activities” so to say, and it definitely put Chuck in a better mood after a long day.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s too bad. I’ve been dying to see him again! Maybe we could all hang out sometime?” Larry was hesitant to say yes because of what happened the last time they got together, but the hopefulness of her expression squashed that idea. It wasn’t her fault Chuck had a complete mental breakdown. How could she have known?</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Anything but that club,” he added for good measure, only half-joking. Along with what happened, clubs also just weren’t their scene. Everyone there had been young, in their late 20s at the latest, while he and Chuck were getting close to their 40s. In other words, they were too old to "hang with the kids."</p><p> </p><p>She chuckled a bit, but Larry could sense the underlying guilt in her body language. “I’m so sorry that happened. I didn’t think he’d…”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, neither did we. That was the first time anything like that happened.” He hoped his words were reassuring her and they could change the topic of discussion. After a few seconds of awkward silence, she began listing things they could do, mainly some good restaurants. Larry partially drowned out her voice and listened to the birds chirping and the children playing. It was one of the rare parks in New York that still had a small amount of wildlife left, where the air wasn’t totally polluted. He soaked in the sun and enjoyed the breeze, knowing that very soon he’d be back to working shifts at the station and he wouldn’t be able to bask in the outdoors like this as often.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, he agreed on someplace that he didn't really hear and hoped he wouldn't forget entirely that they were going to meet up somewhere. Shortly after, Sarah drove the kids and him home.</p><p> </p><p>Chuck got home from work shortly after and plopped down heavily on the couch, sighing in exhaustion. Larry sat next to him and offered a beer that he warily took. Since Larry couldn't drink because of the pain meds, Chuck had been going sober in solidarity, but Larry felt he really needed this one. </p><p> </p><p>“Long day?” Larry asked, throwing his good arm around Chuck’s shoulders, and drawing him closer. Chuck rested against him and yawned loudly</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“I ran into Alex today and she invited us out again.”</p><p> </p><p>Chuck instantly tensed, remembering what happened the last time they agreed to go out with Alex.</p><p> </p><p>“Not to a club. Just a restaurant. I think,” Larry assured, slightly amused at Chuck’s reaction.</p><p> </p><p>“You think? When are we going?”</p><p> </p><p>Larry opened his mouth to answer but closed it. He did not remember the place's name in the slightest. </p><p> </p><p>“You might need to text her. I wasn’t really listening."</p><p> </p><p>Chuck laughed into his shoulder and Larry smiled, giggling along. Larry was happy to lighten Chuck’s day. Even after a particularly terrible one, he was able to brighten it just a little bit.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, their laughter died down and they sat in comfortable silence, content with just being next to each other.</p><p> </p><p>“Where are the kids?” Chuck asked through another yawn. Out of the corner of his eye, Larry could see Chuck’s eyes drooping. He looked at the clock above the Tv and saw that It was almost 6:30 pm.</p><p> </p><p>“They're over at Sarah’s. Someone will have to get them soon,” Larry said halfheartedly, his eyes also feeling very heavy. He felt bad that Sarah had been driving them home each time they went over, but he felt warm and safe and incredibly comfortable, and he knew it would be an effort to get off the couch.</p><p> </p><p>Before he could stop himself, he drifted off to sleep, Chuck doing the same with his face tucked into the crook of his neck.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Their nap was short-lived. Only 30 minutes later the door opened and the kids stumbled inside, tired after a long day of play. Sarah followed them in as she always did to make sure either Larry or Chuck knew they were home. (Since she had been doing so much for them, Larry gave her a spare house key. Just for the time being.)</p><p> </p><p>The opening of the door had only just started to rouse Chuck and Larry, but what really awakened them was Tori and Eric jumping on top of them, shaking them awake. They both grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of the eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re up, we’re up,” Chuck said, ruffling Eric’s hair.</p><p> </p><p>“Watch the shoulder,” Larry added. More than once, the kids got a little careless and put too much pressure on it, leading to them apologizing profusely.</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Sarah.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, we really appreciate-” Chuck stopped talking abruptly once he looked up to where Sarah was by the door, noticing it wasn’t just Sarah who had come into the house. She looked sheepish, and next to her stood none other than Clint Fitzer.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, he said he was a friend so I let him in,” she said. She must have noticed their reactions to him because she quickly added, “I’m guessing not?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s okay, Sarah. Thanks for bringing the kids home. We don’t know what we would do without you,” Larry said, giving her a reassuring smile. She nodded jerkily and made her way out the door.</p><p> </p><p>“They, uh, already had dinner,” she said before walking out the door, getting in her car, and peeling out of the driveway.</p><p> </p><p>Chuck stood up from the couch and carefully assessed Fitzer before speaking through gritted teeth, trying to control his temper. “What are you doing here, Fitzer?” He didn’t even try to keep the bluntness out of his voice.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, kids, why don’t you go get in your PJs and brush your teeth. We’ll be in soon to say good night,” Larry said, getting up to stand next to Chuck. A dull ache spread through his shoulder from the movement and he hissed in pain. Chuck immediately put a hand on Larry’s good arm, moving closer to assess him.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay? Do you need more meds?” Chuck asked.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I’m fine. If I take anymore I’ll get addicted.”</p><p> </p><p>Chuck looked unconvinced and gave him a pointed look.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine, Chuck. Nothing I’m not used to.”</p><p> </p><p>Chuck nodded, his soft and worried expression turning stern when he turned back to Fitzer. “Is there a reason for your visit?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m still my job to make routine visits when I’m told, gentlemen,” Fitzer said, just as snide and scornful as ever. “This will be one of my last, don’t worry. The department seems to believe that your marriage is legit.” The incredulity in his tone suggested he thought otherwise.</p><p> </p><p>“And you don’t?” Chuck taunted, crossing his arms and piercing Fitzer with a deadly stare.</p><p> </p><p>“What I believe doesn’t matter. It’s up to the department to decide. And they’ve decided I shall be done with you two soon.”</p><p> </p><p>More than anything, Chuck wanted to punch the smirk off this guy's face, lawsuits be damned. He was able to contain himself, knowing that on top of paying for a lawyer, they still have the medical bill that made a decent dent.</p><p> </p><p>“Any questions, then?” Larry asked though he didn’t sound as angry as Chuck. It actually was time for his pain medication, 30 minutes late actually, but he wanted to wait until Fitzer was gone. It was getting harder to wait as the dull ache was becoming stronger.</p><p> </p><p>“No, I have no questions. This Is just a… little check-in,” Fitzer bit the inside of his cheek and let his eyes wander around the house. “That Sarah seemed nice. Is she around often?”</p><p>“Yes, she’s been very helpful with the kids this summer. Larry can’t do much and I’ve picked up extra shifts,” Chuck stated, clearly getting impatient with Fitzer’s visit.</p><p> </p><p>Larry tried to add something, but the pain in his shoulder was growing quickly and he could feel himself becoming dizzy. He sat heavily on the couch, afraid of passing out from the pain. He began worrying over the intensity of the pain, remembering that he would be getting the sling off soon and wondering if his shoulder should be hurting this much.</p><p> </p><p>Chuck quickly turned to him, concern splayed across his face. He knelt down in front his Larry, placing a hand on his neck.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay, Lar? What's wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>Larry mouthed pills, knowing it would be hard to understand him if he spoke out loud. Chuck thankfully understood and automatically made his way to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. He returned soon after, leaning over the back of the couch and putting the pills in Larry’s hand before going to the kitchen and getting him a glass of water. Larry was too desperate to wait and decided to dry swallowed them. When Chuck got back with the water, he chugged it down quickly, sending Chuck back to get more. He felt his head clear and wondered if the concussion was more serious than the doctors said.</p><p> </p><p>Chuck knelt in front of him once again, brushing back the hair plastered on his forehead from sweat. “Jesus fucking Christ you’re pale. And you’re burning up! Did you go and get yourself sick or something?”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe?” Larry said just above a whisper, pressing his fingers against his temple. He could feel a headache coming on and knew it would be a bad one. “I think I need to lay down.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, no shit, Lar. C’mon, up, up, up.” Chuck got his arm under Larry’s and helped him up off the couch, afraid he wouldn’t be able to walk by himself. He let Larry stand for a moment to see if he was actually okay enough to make it to the bedroom. Chuck cursed the distance of the hallway between them and the bedroom.</p><p> </p><p>Now that they stood, Chuck saw the Fitzer, forgetting momentarily that he was still there. Chuck gave him a hard glare but said nothing, hoping that Fitzer would take his signal to “get the fuck out.” Chuck didn’t know if he left yet, busying himself with getting Larry to the bedroom without him collapsing. Every single insane diagnostic was running through his brain, worrying him even more. Was his shoulder not healing properly? Did he just forget to take his painkillers on time, or did he just not take enough before? Did he unknowingly do something to it?</p><p> </p><p>The progress down the hallway was excruciatingly slow, but eventually, they made it to the bedroom. Chuck sat him carefully on the bed, setting up all pillows comfortingly behind him so he’d be propped up. Once Larry was situated, Chuck stayed, sitting on the edge of the bed next to him, taking Larry’s hand while he thought what to do next. What he was really thinking was whether or not he should call the doctor and make an appointment or just wait and see what happens. He figured he could worry Larry with all that later and opted for a less stressful option.</p><p> </p><p>“Feeling any better?” Chuck asked, giving Larry’s good hand a squeeze.</p><p> </p><p>“A little,” Larry responded, yawning. It wasn’t a lie either. Those painkillers were strong and worked <em>fast. </em>He gave Chuck a small smile, trying to reassure him that he was mostly okay.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you need anything?”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t know you were such a mother hen,” Larry teased, the smile spreading into a grin. Chuck smiled back, satisfied for now. His logic was if Larry could joke around with him, he was doing much better.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, then. Guess I should check on the kids.” Chuck gave Larry a quick kiss before leaving, looking back hesitantly for a split second before closing the door.</p><p> </p><p>When he went back to the living room, he found the kids sitting in front of the TV, and an incredible absence of Fitzer.</p><p> </p><p>Chuck looked at the time shown on the oven. A lot of time had passed. The last time he checked the clock it was 6, now it was almost 8. The nap was longer than he had originally thought. He knew the kids went to bed at 10:30 over the summer, and they wouldn’t be nearly tired enough to go to bed now, but Chuck wanted desperately for them to be in bed and asleep so they wouldn’t have to see him worrying about their father.</p><p> </p><p>He was still running over what just happened in his mind and what he would have to do because of it. Larry was getting his cast off this weekend, and if tonight was any indication he shouldn’t, that would mean more long shifts and more miserable stay-at-home Larry.</p><p> </p><p>For now, Chuck grabbed the now warm beer and joined the kids on the couch, hoping to forget about everything for just a short while.</p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>It was Sunday, and Larry was finally getting his (hopefully) final assessment before getting his sling off. He showed almost no signs of pain on Saturday, but Chuck was sure to voice his concern with the doctors once they were at the hospital.</p><p> </p><p>The doctors asked Larry a few questions about how his shoulder had been, and Larry also told them about Friday night. With further interrogation, the doctor discovered that that day, Larry had forgotten a dose of his painkillers in the early morning, and only took a small amount in the afternoon. The doctors took a final MRI scan which further proved their suspicions.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s highly possible that his shoulder muscles just cramped from being kept in the same position for so long. It happens sometimes. He could also have been dizzied from just about anything. He went out that day, yes?”</p><p> </p><p>Chuck nodded in affirmation.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, it is the summertime and he may have just been dehydrated or stood up to fast. Could be low iron. There’s always a bazillion reasons for someone to get a bit lightheaded, so I wouldn’t worry too much.”</p><p> </p><p>Chuck could almost have cried from relief but settled on releasing a huge breath that he seemed to have been holding since Friday.</p><p> </p><p>“Now, he should still see a physical therapist regularly for a few weeks to test his mobility, and blah blah blah...”</p><p> </p><p>As the doctor spoke, Chuck drowned him out, not needing to listen as soon as he knew Larry would be okay. Chances are that all this information would be or was being relayed to Larry as well. Chuck was just glad Larry’s shoulder wasn’t worse than the doctors had thought.</p><p>***</p><p> </p><p>One of the many things the doctors had told them that Chuck remembered when they got home was that Larry shouldn’t overwork his shoulder. But, as soon as they got in the car, Larry started rolling his shoulder, moving it every which way. Chuck scolded him every time, reminding him he shouldn’t be moving his shoulder too much. Larry complained right back, saying he needed to “get rid of the stiffness.”</p><p> </p><p>Though Chuck was slightly pissed by this, he couldn’t stay mad for too long, especially when he was making dinner and Larry came up behind him and wrapped <em>both </em>arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. Chuck still made sure to halfheartedly tell Larry to take it easy for the rest of the night.</p><p> </p><p>The kids were ecstatic when they returned home from the hospital. Tori jumped up in Larry’s arms even though she hadn’t done it in years because "it's for little kids." She later told Chuck it was just because she knew she could. </p><p> </p><p>Later that night, while they were just getting in bed, Chuck received a text from Alex, asking about when they would go out.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, Alex wants to know where and when we want to go,” Chuck said while crawling under the covers.</p><p> </p><p>“Huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“You talked to her earlier? About getting together for a night out?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh. I almost forgot about that. Good thing she texted you,” Larry responded. He was happy to be able to sleep without being propped up on a bunch of pillows that made it feel like he was sitting. It did wonders on his back to be able to lay flat and he groaned in relief, stretching his arms above his head. </p><p> </p><p>“Where should we go?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know. Wherever she wants,” Larry said through a yawn. Right now, he was honestly too tired to care and just wanted to fall asleep. “Just nothing to fancy. Just a bar or something. I could use a night of drinking.”</p><p> </p><p>“Okay,” Chuck said, typing something out on his phone. She quickly responded with an address to a bar close by to where she lived. “Next weekend?”</p><p> </p><p>Larry mumbled something that sounded like a yes and Chuck confirmed the time and date.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as he turned off the bedside lamp, Larry wrapped an arm around Chuck's waist, pulling his back against his chest. It was the first time they’d spooned, and Chuck loved the feeling. Just as they got comfortable, he felt Larry softly kiss the back of his neck before leaning close to his ear.</p><p> </p><p>“I can sleep on my side,” Larry whispered, sounding like a child in complete awe. Chuck was definitely not expecting that and he had to muffle laughter against his pillow so he wouldn’t wake the kids. He grabbed Larry’s hand that was resting on his stomach and held it tightly, bringing it to his mouth to give it a kiss.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, you sure can.”</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>It was the next weekend, and Chuck and Larry were getting ready to go meet Alex at the bar. They hired Sarah to watch the kids, this time demanding that she take pay because Larry’s shoulder wasn’t in a sling anymore.</p><p> </p><p>Larry insisted he drive, excited to be behind the wheel again. Chuck was afraid he’d have some car PTSD from <em>literally getting in a car accident, </em>but Larry seemed fine all the way to the bar. He was actually more than fine, tapping against the steering wheel to the beat of the music and resting an arm out the rolled-down window, letting the warm summer breeze into the car.</p><p> </p><p>As they pulled into the parking lot, Chuck got a little worried seeing the entrance to the bar. Alex had informed him earlier in the week that yes, it was a gay bar, and that no, it was nothing like the club from before. She said it wasn’t a club at all. It was more popular with the older crowd and had a more relaxing atmosphere with classic rock playing instead of whatever pop-techno music was playing the last time.</p><p> </p><p>Even though she had convinced him it would be completely different, Chuck knew he would always be a little nervous going into any place that catered to gay people because there would always be that feeling of being out and open. It still amazed Chuck that he was out before he even knew he liked dick.</p><p> </p><p>Chuck felt himself relax as soon as they entered the bar. It was still relatively crowded for a weekend night, but it was so much less suffocating. Music was playing off a jukebox and people were dancing, though Chuck could see that people were dancing with one another instead of everyone dancing as a collective unit. Looking around more, Chuck could see why Alex chose this place. This was a place for couples that wanted a night out together without being thrown into the younger crowd but also without being hate-crimed in a regular "straight" bar.</p><p> </p><p>Chuck could see Alex waving from a booth in the corner and he dragged Larry in that direction. They slid into the booth and greeted Alex.</p><p> </p><p>“This place is great,” Chuck said, looking around.</p><p> </p><p>“Isn’t it? I thought you’d appreciate it. Do you guys want food? They have amazing truffle fries and great beer,” she asked, smiling brightly at them.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, please, beer,” Larry said, deflating into the seat, desperate to finally have a drink. Because of the painkillers, he hadn't had a drink in what felt like months.</p><p> </p><p>Alex flagged down a waitress, a woman in her early sixties with short grey hair and a smoker's voice. She took their orders and greeted Alex like they already knew each other.</p><p> </p><p>“Nice to see you again, Alex. Why don’t you introduce me to your friends here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Chuck and Larry, this is Ruth, Ruth, this is Chuck and Larry,” she said. Both Chuck and Larry shook her hand, exchanging quick hello’s. “I was their lawyer while they were being investigated.” She sounded disgusted while saying investigated and Ruth reacted a similar way, snorting and shaking her head. Chuck had a feeling it wasn’t the first time Alex brought her clients to this bar.</p><p> </p><p>“Well, it’s nice to meet you, boys. I’ll bring your drinks and food shortly," she said after they ordered.</p><p> </p><p>As the night progressed, Chuck found himself falling in love with the place even more. They drank and chatted with Alex, and the food was absolutely wonderful. The nervousness of being out with Larry publicly washed off of him. This was obviously a very welcoming and accepting place and Chuck knew they would be back another time.</p><p> </p><p>It became more crowded so Chuck found himself going up to the bar to get drinks since Ruth couldn’t stop buy with more beers at the pace they were drinking them. As he waited for the drinks, he took the chance to lean against the bar and look around at the people there. Some were dancing, most were drinking, and a small group of elderly men was playing pool. It was a refreshing change of pace. Eyes skimming over everyone, he picked out what he thought were the couples. As he did, he spotted a pair of familiar faces further down the bar counter.</p><p> </p><p>It was Renaldo and Fred, sitting close together on stools, talking and drinking. Renaldo’s eyes met his and widened in surprise for a split second before he smiled and nodded, lifting his beer. Chuck nodded back in solidarity and that’s when the beers came back. He walked back to the booth with them, snaking carefully around people so he wouldn’t drop them. As he slid back into the booth next to Larry and distributed the beers, he leaned close to Larry and whispered in his ear to be overheard.</p><p> </p><p>“Renaldo and Fred are here.”</p><p> </p><p>Larry turned in his seat, looking around the bar to try and spot them in the throng of people. Larry followed where Chuck was pointing and found Renaldo doing a similar thing for Fred. Both couples made eye contact, and Larry waved at Fred and Fred waved back. Chuck saw them shortly discuss something before they got off their barstools and made their way across the bar and toward them.</p><p> </p><p>“Friends of yours?” Alex asked, her voice reminding Chuck that she was here.</p><p> </p><p>“Coworkers,” Larry corrected, following Renaldo and Fred’s movement until they arrived at the booth. "And friends."</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, guys!” Renaldo said cheerfully with a slight slur. “How’s that shoulder, Larry?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s fine. I should be back at work next week,” Larry said warily. He still didn’t completely trust Renaldo, but him being out publicly in a gay bar must mean something.</p><p> </p><p>“Do you come here often? We’ve never seen you,” Fred said while putting his arm around Renaldo’s shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>“No, this is our first time here. Actually, she brought us here,” Chuck said, motioning to Alex who was looking a little left out on her side of the booth.</p><p> </p><p>“Hey, I think I’ve seen you around here before.” Fred reached out his hand and shook it with Alex’s.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m good friends with the owners," she said without explaining further.</p><p> </p><p>Everyone continued chatting, Renaldo and Fred eventually squeezing into Alex’s side of the booth.</p><p> </p><p>The more they spent time with them, the more Chuck saw how happy Renaldo was. He was so open and carefree here and stayed draped over Fred the entire time, practically sitting on his lap. He looked… at peace. Chuck was really happy for him.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, all the beer caught up with his bladder and he excused himself, making his way to the bathroom with only a little bit of stumbling.</p><p> </p><p>He quickly finished at the urinal, and while washing his hands, he heard the bathroom door open behind him. He looked in the mirror and was shocked to see Alex.</p><p> </p><p>“What are you doing in here,” he asked while drying his hands, though to be honest, he was too drunk to really care.</p><p> </p><p>“The bathrooms are gender-neutral.” She must have noticed his bewildered expression because she quickly clarified. “Everyone uses the same bathrooms.”</p><p> </p><p>Chuck nodded but became even more confused when she didn’t go into a stall or move from the door. She had a strange expression on her face and she seemed tense.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p> </p><p>Before he knew it, she was quickly approaching him. He felt her arms move around his neck and her lips press against his. He was too stunned to do anything for a few moments. He stayed still, arms slack on his sides. Once his brain finally caught up with what was happening, he pushed her away and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.</p><p> </p><p>“What the fuck are you doing?” he said, sounding less angry and more perplexed. She covered her hand with her mouth and he could see tears starting to fall down her cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my god, I’m sorry. Chuck, I’m so sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>Chuck darted out of the bathroom, making sure to make a wide circle around her when he did. Once out of the bathroom, he made a beeline for the booth where he found Larry still talking to Renaldo and Fred.</p><p> </p><p>“We need to leave,” he said, interrupting their conversation. Larry looked up at him worriedly and moved to get up.</p><p> </p><p>“Is everything okay? What happened?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not here. Can we please- can we please just go?” Chuck started to feel himself panicking. His drunk brain was too muddled to make sense of what happened and he desperately needed fresh air.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah… Sure. Sorry to leave so soon. We’ll see you later,” Larry said, addressing Renaldo and Fred who had similar looks of concern. “We should say bye to Alex first.”</p><p> </p><p>Chuck flinched and grabbed Larry’s hand, pulling him towards the door. “No, we don’t need to. Please, let’s just leave.”</p><p> </p><p>Larry nodded and followed Chuck toward the door and into the cool night. Mos August nights were hot and sticky, and Chuck was grateful for the cold air that made it a little easier to breathe. Once they were safely in the car, Larry turned to him.</p><p> </p><p>“Okay, Chuck. Spill. What happened?"</p><p> </p><p>“She kissed me.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you liked it! I'm not trying to paint Alex as an entirely terrible person and I know I'm kind of stealing the kiss from the movie, but trust me it's important. All will be explained in time and I promise. The next chapter should be out sometime next week.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNING: Smut</p><p>Okay, so this chapter is basically just smut cause I know I promised it in the tags and I thought y'all could have more. Hope you enjoy it!<br/>(I take back what I said about making Alex not a terrible person. I don't know, I just don't really like her? I didn't like her in the movies either, probably causes I wanted Chuck and Larry to be together.)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“WHAT?!?! What do you mean she <em>kissed </em>you?” Larry yelled. He was thankful that he didn’t start the car yet because he would surely have swerved off the road if he were driving, and they did not need a repeat car accident.</p><p>“She just… She just came up and kissed me.”</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>Chuck scoffed, but Larry didn’t miss him nervously looking over to the front of the bar. “I don’t why, Lar!”</p><p>“Well, did you leave an impression? You tend to flirt with everyone without knowing it,” Larry said. He took a few deep breaths, calming himself down enough to start the car without driving off the road.</p><p>“I don’t think so. I haven’t seen her in weeks!” Chuck chewed nervously at his fingernails. He suddenly huffed angrily, his demeanor changing. “Oh, great. Now we can never go back to the bar again! I really liked that place.”</p><p>Larry laughed and rested his hand on Chuck’s thigh, squeezing it gently. “We can go back. We’ll just give her the cold shoulder if she happens to be there. Relax, Chuck. This is her fault, and it’s still the weekend. We shouldn’t let her ruin it. Now, what else can we do?”</p><p>Chuck thought for a moment before a devilish smile spread across his face. “The kids are at a sleepover, right? That means we have the entire night to ourselves.” He unbuckled his seat belt before leaning over the console. He put his hand on Larry’s leg and slowly inched it up his thigh, dragging it down when it got too close to his crotch. He repeated the motion, hoping to rile Larry up while he sucked and nibbled at his neck lightly.</p><p>Larry groaned, clutching the steering wheel tightly. He knew it was dangerous, they were probably breaking a few laws, but he didn’t tell Chuck to stop. They were close to their neighborhood, so if he could just get there quickly…</p><p>He wasn’t sure to speed up so they could get to the bedroom or slow down so he wouldn’t hit anything.</p><p>His breathing became heavy, and it took all his brainpower to focus on the road instead of what Chuck was doing to him with his mouth and hands. For a brief moment, he thought about just pulling over to the side of the road and doing it in the car, but he would probably die of embarrassment if someone found them. Plus, he didn’t want to be interrupted.</p><p>They hadn’t quite gone all the way yet because the doctor said it would put too much strain on his shoulder, but that wasn’t an issue anymore. And the way the night was looking so far, it could happen very soon.</p><p>Larry’s breath hitched when he felt Chuck’s hand ghost over his crotch. He let out a very audible whimper when Chuck removed his hand and continued rubbing up and down his thighs.</p><p>“Be patient, babe,” Chuck whispered into his ear, his hot breath on his cheek. “Wouldn’t want to distract you <em>too </em>much.”</p><p>As Chuck continued his teasing ministrations, Larry could see the driveway coming close into view. He made himself put all his focus on the road and car, stepping on the gas for the final stretch. He pulled into the driveway, only partially noticing that he was halfway on the lawn.</p><p>Chuck removed himself from Larry and got out of the car. Larry fumbled with his seatbelt, almost forgetting to turn off the car. He scrambled to see Chuck standing by the door, bouncing on the heels of the feet with excitement.</p><p>“Keys!”</p><p>“Fuck,” Larry said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled them out and tossed them to Chuck who caught them and unlocked the door. Larry leaped up the front steps, reaching Chuck as soon as he got the door open.</p><p>As soon as they were inside and the door was closed, they were on each other, kissing hungrily and tugging at clothes. Chuck haphazardly through the keys in the general direction of the kitchen counter.</p><p>Larry pulled his lips away from Chuck’s to focus on the pesky buttons on Chuck’s shirt. While he did, Chuck pressed wet open-mouthed kisses on his neck, letting his hands roam over Larry’s body. Larry fumbled, huffing in frustration.</p><p>“The one day you wear a button-down,” Larry mumbled, finally releasing the last button. He pulled it off before removing Chuck’s undershirt, leaving Chuck’s top half completely naked. Larry went to start the buttons on his own shirt but Chuck swatted them away and moved back to kissing Larry on the mouth. As Chuck backed Larry toward the bedroom, he got the buttons undone in record time, fingers flying quickly as he popped them open.</p><p>“How are you so much better at that?” Larry asked between kisses. They finally reached the bedroom, and Chuck took no time shoving Larry back onto the mattress before straddling his hips.</p><p>“Seriously? I’ve been helping you with them for weeks because you insisted on getting dressed every day instead of just wearing pajamas.”</p><p>“Oh, yeah.”</p><p>“Yeah, ‘oh, yeah.’ Now help me get these pants off.”</p><p>Larry followed his orders, getting his belt off and unbuttoning his jeans before Chuck tugged them down. When his pants were gone, Larry flipped them over so he was on top and had easier access to work on Chuck’s pants.</p><p>In mere seconds they were finally completely naked except for Chuck's underwear which he had forgotten to pull down. They paused to catch their breath and allowed themselves to calm down. Larry pressed light kisses to Chuck’s jaw, tracing Chuck’s chest with his fingers. Chuck had an arm hooked around Larry’s neck and the other around his waist, holding Larry securely against himself.</p><p>Chuck became impatient, the “cooling down period” taking too long. He was painfully hard, and it wasn’t helping that Larry’s own erection was pressed right beside his, the only thing preventing skin on skin contact being his underwear. His hips involuntarily bucked up.</p><p>“C’mon, Lar. Let’s get on with it.”</p><p>Larry chuckled into his ear and began rolling his hips against Chuck, pulling a moan from Chuck’s mouth. Though it felt good to get something, it still wasn’t enough.</p><p>“Get on with what, Chuck?” Larry teased. “What would you like me to do?”</p><p>“I want you to fuck me,” Chuck said, hiding face in Larry’s neck, blushing wildly.</p><p>“Are you sure?” Larry asked, pulling slightly away. He was hoping the night would turn this way, but he wanted to be sure Chuck was completely on board with it. They hadn’t done <em>that </em>before, let alone with other people.</p><p>“Yes, I’m sure. Please, Lar.” Chuck could hear the pathetic whine in his voice and felt his face heat from embarrassment. “I want you.”</p><p>Larry was unbelievably turned on from the way Chuck begged and almost forgot to answer. He kissed Chuck slowly while reaching a hand over to his nightstand. He had bought condoms and lube not too long ago, after a painful conversation with Chuck about how when they were ready, they didn’t want to be left with nothing. Larry was pretty sure he had some old condoms hidden somewhere in the house from when he was married to Paula but was sure they were past their expiration date.</p><p>He eventually found the condoms and lube but placed them on the bed next to Chuck’s head. He wasn't quite done with the teasing foreplay.</p><p>He kissed a trail down Chuck’s chest, giving attention to each nipple before moving lower down his stomach. Chuck writhed underneath him, making sweet noises, cock straining against his briefs.</p><p>Larry pulled the done torturously slow, sucking where Chuck’s hip bone protruded. He had to sit back on his heels to fully pull them off, tossing them on the floor.</p><p>He took a moment to appreciate the view he had of Chuck, splayed out beneath him and completely at his mercy. Larry knew Chuck was confident with the ladies, always taking charge and placing his masculinity above anything else, and it was truly a blessing to see any and all bravado gone, leaving Chuck a moaning and fluster mess. And to think it was Chuck teasing him in the car, so cocky and arrogant.</p><p>Larry took Chuck’s cock in his hand and began slowly tugging it, letting his other hand trace teasing patterns up the inside of Chuck’s thighs, each time getting closer to his twitching hole.</p><p>He released Chuck’s cock, immediately causing Chuck to whine in disappointment. He stopped soon after when he saw Larry pick up the bottle of lube and pop the cap open with his thumb, leaving his other hand to circle around Chuck’s hole.</p><p>He squirted a good amount on his fingers, rubbing them together to warm the lube up. Chuck opened his legs wider when Larry’s coated fingers inched closer to his sensitive ring of muscles. Larry leaned over Chuck so he could look him in the eyes.</p><p>“Are you sure?” Larry asked one last time, wanting to be 100% sure Chuck okay with this. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Chuck or have him regret it afterward.</p><p>“For the love of Christ, Lar, <em>yes!</em> Please, just do it.”</p><p>Larry was sure Chuck was going for demanding or intimidating, but it was ruined by the way his voice shook with anticipation and need.</p><p>“Okay, okay! So needy.”</p><p>With that, Larry pressed the tip of one finger slowly inside the tight ring of muscles, pushing in tenderly. Chuck gasped and clutched at Larry’s shoulders.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Larry inquired, studying Chuck’s face closely for any signs of pain or discomfort.</p><p>“Yes. Just feels a bit weird. Keep going.”</p><p>Larry began moving his finger, pushing in, and out, gradually speeding up. Chuck sighed beneath him, trying desperately to relax himself despite the unfamiliar intrusion.</p><p>He soon added a second finger, alternating between rotating and scissoring them as he stretched Chuck out. Lewd moans and gasps spilled out of Chuck’s mouth. Larry’s fingers felt good, but they weren’t nearly enough. Not even when he eventually added a third.</p><p>“Please, Larry, now. I need you, please, I’m ready,” he stuttered out, fingernails digging into Larry’s back.</p><p>Larry pulled his fingers out, grabbing the condom and ripping it open with his teeth. His cock twitched as he rolled it on, the tip an angry red and beading with pre-come. He’d been so focused on Chuck that he hadn’t paid any attention to himself. He hoped it wouldn’t result in him finishing quickly and leaving Chuck disappointed and unsatisfied.</p><p>He quickly coated his cock with lube, capturing Chuck’s lips as he lined up, hoping to distract him from any pain. He pushed the tip in slowly.</p><p>Chuck threw his head back, crying out. Larry moved to suck at his neck, pushing in gingerly until he was at the hilt. Chuck was incredibly warm and tight and it took all his power to not start pounding into him relentlessly. Instead, he paused, letting Chuck adjust to the feeling. Somewhere along the way, Chuck had wrapped his legs around Larry’s waist and was now pulling Larry’s body against his, urging movement.</p><p>Larry pulled out almost all the way before thrusting back in a little more quickly than before. Soon, he set a moderate pace. He let his hands roam Chuck’s body while Chuck panted and moaned below him, his hips soon moving against him to meet his thrusts, the sound of skin slapping together becoming louder and more frequent.</p><p>Suddenly, Chuck cried out, his hands moving to clutch at the bed. Larry almost stopped moving until Chuck started mumbling almost incoherently, and Larry realized it wasn’t from pain but from remarkable pleasure.</p><p>“Right there, oh god, yes, right <em>there,</em> Lar.”</p><p>Larry angled his hips to make sure he was hitting that spot directly and knew he was successful when Chuck began crying out and moaning even louder. As an afterthought, Larry wondered if Chuck was ever this loud with women and whether the neighbors could hear them or not.</p><p>“Larry, I’m gonna- I’m gonna come.”</p><p>True to his word, after a couple of meticulously aimed thrusts, Chuck screamed Larry’s name, shooting come between them, orgasming harder than he ever had before. His body tensed, causing him to clench around Larry.</p><p>Chuck tightening around Larry pushed him over the edge, and he came only seconds after Chuck did, his hips stuttering. He thrust a few more times, determined to draw out his orgasm before stopping completely and collapsing on Chuck, face burying into Chuck’s neck.</p><p>They breathed heavily together, panting with exhaustion, Chuck’s come sticky between them. Larry could have laid there forever but lifted his head when he felt Chuck squeeze his arm.</p><p>“You’re crushing me, Lar.”</p><p>Larry used the last of his energy to pull out of Chuck before falling on his back next to him.</p><p>“So,” Larry said after his heart rate began to level out. “How was it?”</p><p>Chuck rolled over on his side so his chin rested on Larry’s chest, staring up at him with wide eyes.</p><p>“Are you kidding? Man, that was probably the best sex I’ve ever had!”</p><p>Larry rolled his eyes, chuckling while he began playing absentmindedly with Chuck’s hair.</p><p>“I’m serious, Lar! I don’t know how I’ve never done that before. And you were <em>amazing.”</em></p><p>“Really?” Larry said in slight disbelief, piercing Chuck with a questioning glare. All his life, people teased him about his weight, making fun that because was a little bigger than average he <em>mustn’t </em>be good at sex. He’d really only been with Paula that way, and she had always assured him that he was great, but she was only one person. And to get an accurate answer, you need multiple outcomes showing the same thing. It’s very scientific.</p><p>“Don’t be modest, Lar. You didn’t even touch my dick!” That caused both of them to laugh, and when they eventually stopped it left them in a comfortable silence. Larry could have fallen asleep right then and there, peacefully, with Chuck on his chest. He looked at the time blinking on his alarm clock. It was a quarter to midnight, the perfect time for sleep. But not like this.</p><p>He shook Chuck gently while moving to get up.</p><p>“Come on, Chuck. Up. We can’t go to sleep like this.”</p><p>Chuck groaned, rolling off of Larry, tossing an arm dramatically over his eyes. “Why not?”</p><p>“Because the kids are getting dropped off in the morning and they can’t see us like this? We should also shower.”</p><p>Chuck pouted but got up, wincing, and walking with a slight limp to the bathroom. “Thanks a lot, Lar, I’m gonna be sore for the whole week.”</p><p>“Oh, boo. You loved it,” Larry called after him. He detoured from the bathroom, instead searching for any clothes that got thrown off on the way to the bedroom, leaving a trail showing exactly what they’d done. He found the keys on the kitchen floor and an almost invisible scratch on the fridge. He could hear Chuck start the shower.</p><p>“Hurry up before the water gets cold!” Chuck shouted from the bathroom.</p><p>Larry rushed, tossing the clothes haphazardly in their bedroom before rushing into the bathroom, remembering to throw away the used condom that he forgot was still on before joining Chuck in the shower.</p><p>“Nice of you to show up,” Chuck said with a hint of sarcasm and a small smile. “What were you doing?” He already had shampoo in his hair and maneuvered around Larry so he was under the water.</p><p>“Had to pick up the clothes.”</p><p>“Oh.”</p><p>They spent the rest of the shower in silence, washing each other and trading sweet kisses.</p><p>Once they were both clean, they stayed under the warm water, arms encircling one another, foreheads pressed together. Larry could have stayed there forever, but soon they were both yawning and the water started to get cold.</p><p>They got out toweling off and throwing on clean boxers and t-shirts before collapsing in bed, remembering at the last minute to change the top cover with one they <em>didn’t </em>have sex on.</p><p>They faced each other, Chuck tucked into Larry’s chest, arms around his waist. When they were settled in and comfortable, Chuck looked up towards Larry, hand tracing patterns on Larry’s chest before moving up to cup his face.</p><p>Larry turned his head, kissing Chuck’s palm, his lips turning up into a smile. Chuck smiled back before covering the short distance between their lips into a gentle kiss. It deepened a bit but stayed slow and tender, nothing like the frantic, horny making out from early.</p><p>“I love you,” Chuck whispered when they stopped, giving Larry one last peck before nuzzling back into his chest, letting out a content sigh.</p><p>“I love you, too,” Larry whispered back, kissing Chuck’s temple before closing his eyes and drifting off into tranquil sleep.</p><p> </p><p>***</p><p>Chuck awoke in the morning in a position he was becoming very familiar with, with Larry on his back and himself cuddled into his side. He almost panicked about work but remembered quickly that it was the weekend and they could stay in bed for as long as they wanted. That was shortly disrupted when he remembered the kids were being dropped off this morning.</p><p>With great effort, he picked his head up and looked at the alarm clock. It was a little past 7, and Chuck cursed his body for waking him up. The kids were being dropped off later, around 9, but his mind had gotten so used to getting up incredibly early for work that now he wasn’t sure if he would be able to go back to sleep. His brain was already becoming less foggy, switching to “get ready for the day” mode.</p><p>He dragged himself out of bed, walking into the kitchen to put on the coffee. He yawned, stretching his arms above his head until his spine popped. He leaned against the counter, rubbing at his eyes when the doorbell rang.</p><p>He looked at the kitchen timer, mumbling in confusion to himself. It was too early for the kids to be here. Hell, they were probably still asleep.</p><p>He looked down at himself, fully aware he wasn’t wearing any pants. He went back to their room quickly, finding a pair of sweatpants and putting them on before walking back towards the front door. He knew that he could just ignore the door, but curiosity was getting the better of him. Who was ringing the doorbell so early in the morning? On the weekend, no less.</p><p>He opened the door, not bothering to look through the peephole, and found himself almost slamming it back shut when he saw who it was. </p><p>Standing outside their door, <em>his </em>door, was Alex. The only thing that stopped him was the terrible state she was in. She was deathly pale and her eyes were sunken in, makeup smudging her face. It looked like she’d been awake for fifty years.</p><p>“Why did you come here?” he fumed. Though he felt a pang of concern about why she looked so terrible, he still hadn’t forgotten what she did. Maybe she had been drunk, but it still didn’t excuse the behavior. Chuck decided he could have found thousands of excuses for her because he found himself feeling genuinely sad that she had ruined their relationship like that. He really liked hanging out with her and thought of her as becoming a very close friend.</p><p>“Please, Chuck, please. Let me explain myself,” she begged, tears springing from her eyes. “Then I’ll leave and you’ll never have to talk to me again.”</p><p>He contemplated her for a few seconds before nodding his head. He hesitantly opened the door for her, letting her inside. He pointed to the dining room. “Sit.”</p><p>She followed his demand, and Chuck moved back to the kitchen to pour himself coffee. He reluctantly poured her one as well, thinking that if she had some caffeine in her it would be easier for her to piece together her story.</p><p>He walked to the dining room, placing a mug in front of Alex before taking the seat opposite her. He took a few sips, eyeing her warily. They sat for a while, not saying anything, and drinking their coffee. Finally, he set his coffee down on the table and made direct eye contact, speaking slowly.</p><p>“I’m married.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“To a man.”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“Who I’m in love with.”</p><p>This time she said nothing, putting her face in her hands, nodding while she tried to contain herself. She looked back up at him, taking a deep breath, sniffling, and wiping at her eyes.</p><p>“Why did you kiss me, Alex?”</p><p>“It’s just-he convinced me…”</p><p>“Who’s ‘he'?”</p><p>She avoided his eye contact, picking nervously at her cuticles.</p><p>“Clint Fitzer.”</p><p>Chuck groaned and rubbed at his temples. Of <em>course, </em>Fitzer had something to do with this. That cowardly weasel of a man seemed to be doing everything in his power to ruin their lives since they met him.</p><p>“What did he convince you?”</p><p>“He said… he said that your marriage was fake. That you were straight.”</p><p>Chuck squeezed the table causing his hands to turn white. His temper was starting to get the better of him, and it was taking a lot of effort to not start screaming at her and instead carry on the conversation like adults.</p><p>“Why would you believe him? When we first met you said yourself that you didn’t like him, that you didn’t trust him.”</p><p>“I didn’t believe him, not at first. Then he showed me all this evidence… And then he said it still wasn’t enough and we needed to prove it.”</p><p>Chuck could feel a headache coming on and wished this was a dream and that he was still asleep. “What evidence?”</p><p>“He said… he said that several women came forward and said that you slept with them. And that you still had an apartment you were staying at.”</p><p>Chuck froze but was able to school his expression into what he hoped came off as stoic. It almost fell when she began shuffling through a binder he hadn't noticed when she came in and began pulling out multiple photos of women. He could see that there were over five, maybe even ten.</p><p>“I want to believe you didn’t…” Alex started. “But there were so many, with so much detail, and I wasn’t sure. I’m still not sure.”</p><p>Chuck stared at the table, taking time to gather his thoughts. He couldn’t tell her the truth, but he knew he couldn’t flat out lie either. Fitzer did have stuff that could be used as compelling evidence and looking at the photos, he knew it was only a small portion of women he'd slept with just this past <em>year.</em></p><p>“Before- before Larry and I got married, I was still… Insecure, and unsure about any feelings and my attraction toward men. I didn’t want to accept that I liked men, so I slept with women to prove to myself I wasn’t gay, or bisexual or whatever.” He took a sip of his coffee that was lukewarm by now, using it to figure out how to proceed. He could see some truth to what he was saying. The only lie was that he and Larry hadn’t actually been together until recently. Or at least in the sense that they personally wanted to be together and it wasn’t just for show. Chuck knew he would have to lie about that, especially how long they’ve been together.</p><p>“Only a few months before we got married did it start to get real for the both of us. Before, it was just sex. Larry was still getting over his wife’s death and I found getting harder to lie to myself. It wasn’t like it was often either. And every time we…did, I felt guilty. So I’d sleep with women. Because in a sense, Larry and I weren't actually together. And it got harder when I finally let myself love him without feeling ashamed, so, yes. I slept with women while we were together, but not while we’ve been married. Larry knows all about them but has still forgiven me. He knows it hasn't been easy for me.”</p><p>When he finished speaking, he could see in Alex’s eyes that she believed him. It was an ironclad lie, a very understandable situation that he created. She looked shellshocked, almost like she thought he would crumble and confess it was all a hoax, but above everything else, guilty.</p><p>“I’m sorry I doubted you. If you don’t mind me asking… why do you still have the apartment? Not because I don’t trust you, I’m genuinely curious.” </p><p>Chuck thought for a second. Why did he still have the apartment? It seemed like he wasn’t moving out of Larry’s house anytime soon. He even stopped thinking of it as Larry’s. To him, it was his home, <em>their </em>home, his, Larry’s, and the kids. Why hadn’t he gotten rid of the apartment?</p><p>“I don’t know. I guess we just haven’t gotten around to it yet.” The more Chuck reflected on it, he saw there was a more underlying explanation. At the start of this, he had kept it because he thought he would be moving back in. Then, it was because he was unsure if what he and Larry had would last, and that he would need a place to stay if they didn’t. But the longer he stayed, the more he became sure that he wouldn’t ever need to step foot in that place again. These past few weeks, he had almost forgotten it existed. </p><p>He faced her again, still suspicious of her. “I still want to know why you kissed me.”</p><p>“Well, it’s just…” she flushed, once again avoiding eye contact now that the spotlight was on her. “Fitzer said-he said that he’d seen us hanging out together and that he noticed your…the way you acted. ” She paused there, seeming to hope Chuck would pick up on what she meant.</p><p>“And how was I acting?” Chuck asked. The more they talked and the more Alex admitted, Chuck became more peeved off that she could fall for something as stupid as this.</p><p>“like you were flirting. He thought that maybe you might have liked me and that we could prove it if I… if I kissed you. And if you kissed back...”</p><p>They sat not speaking again, both avoiding looking at one another until Alex broke the silence.</p><p>“And I guess I kind of hoped he was right,” she whispered, sounding so ashamed of herself. She should, Chuck thought. All that kiss did was solidify the fact that he wanted to be with Larry, only Larry. Chuck could admit Alex was an attractive woman, and he had definitely had non-PG thoughts about her when they first met, but when she kissed him… That usually would have made him feel something, turned him on. But not like usual, it didn’t, and he knew it was because he was already too far gone on Larry.</p><p>“You hoped wrong. I'm sorry if I sent the wrong message. I've been told I flirt without knowing it. You still didn't have the right to...” He trailed off standing up and taking both their coffee mugs to the kitchen.</p><p><em>"Please,</em> Chuck. I'm so, so, so sorry."</p><p>He stopped at the dining room doorway, not looking back at her. “I want you to leave now. I'm sorry, Alex, but I can't forgive you. You were supposed to be on our side. Please don't come by here again."</p><p>As he went to the kitchen, placing the mugs in the sink, he heard the door open and close. He rested his elbows on the counter, leaving down to clasp the back of his neck with his hands. He felt exhausted after that exchange, having barely drunken any of the coffee. The time read 7:45. He sighed and trudged back to bed, crawling under the covers, and pressing his back flush to Larry’s chest. Larry’s arms wrapped around him, and Chuck felt his face nudge against the nape of his neck.</p><p>He fell back asleep, hoping to forget the conversation for just a few more hours.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hell yeah, the eighth chapter finished! I think there's only going to be a few more chapters until I'm finished with this fic. After, I'm probably going to start another one where each chapter is a one-shot about a few milestones in their relationship or just cute moments I thought of. I'd love it if I got some prompts!</p><p>The next chapter should be out next Friday!</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know I keep saying this, but just a few more chapters! I'm starting to get incredibly sick of this story, so I'll try to rap it up. No more than two more chapters left I think. After this, I'll either go back to a Brooklyn nine-nine fic I took a hiatus on or start a completely new one that'll probably be a Destiel AU. Tell me in the comments which one I should do next!</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Chuck woke up again he found the bed empty and could hear someone bustling around in the kitchen. The smell of bacon and coffee wafted into the bedroom and he forced himself up out of bed. Larry was standing in front of the open fridge but closed it and turned around when he heard Chuck enter the kitchen.</p><p>“Morning, Chuck!” Larry said, pulling him in to greet him with a kiss that Chuck returned quickly. “Coffee?”</p><p>Chuck's lips quirked into a small smile as he nodded. He yawned, stretching as he made his way to sit at the barstool on the other side of the counter.  He looked at the microwave and noted that it was 8:30, so they had some time to themselves before the kids would be home. He let himself bask in the quiet calmness of the morning, enjoying his coffee and watching Larry as he cooked breakfast. Larry interrupted the silence when he served Chuck a plate of eggs and bacon.</p><p>“Did someone stop by earlier? I noticed two mugs in the sink.” Larry didn’t sound suspicious or skeptical in the slightest, just curious. Chuck almost lied but didn’t think it fair. There was no reason not to tell, only that Chuck thought he might get angry for not telling him sooner, ruining the current peaceful mood they created that morning.</p><p>“Alex stopped by.” Chuck desperately wished Larry would leave it at that, but he knew he most likely wouldn’t. So much for forgetting about it for a few hours.</p><p>“What did she want?”</p><p>“To explain. And apologize.”</p><p>Larry paused, thinking about his next words. “What’d she say?”</p><p>Chuck gave him a quick recap of their conversation, and Larry stayed eerily calm throughout.  He only talked once when Chuck brought up Fitzer.</p><p>When Chuck was done, any response from Larry was interrupted by the doorbell ringing. Larry shot him a look that said “we’ll talk about this later” before going to the door and greeting the kids. Both Eric and Tori were tired from the sleepover and Chuck only half-listened as the parents apologized for letting the kids stay up too late.</p><p>He was still stuck thinking about Alex and Fitzer and what they would do about them <em>if</em> they <em>could </em>do anything. Chuck hoped Fitzer wouldn’t cause any more problems and that Alex would just leave them alone for now. It seemed that just when they had found some peace, everything had been going well for a change, someone had to come and ruin it. Chuck just wanted to live with Larry and the kids without being tested or investigated for fraud. It was technically no longer fraud!</p><p>As much as Chuck wanted to hate Alex, he could kind of see where she was coming from. She had probably seen dozens of cases where two men faked a partnership for their own selfish gain and benefits, and when she had caught wind that that was what he and Larry were doing… he could see why she had become distrustful. The thing she had forgotten is that not everything is black and white, and their situation was a bit more complicated than she had previously thought. Plus, she had been under the influence of Fitzer, and he was one manipulative bastard.</p><p>Maybe, just maybe, they would finally be left alone now. It was exhausting being under a telescope, and Chuck occasionally found himself regretting ever going through with the domestic partnership. Of course, that quickly vanished when Larry looked at him with complete love and happiness. </p><p>Chuck could feel a headache coming on and forced himself to push out all the complicated thoughts and emotions down so he could enjoy the beautiful summer morning with his family. His heart ached. He hadn't had his own family before. </p><p> </p><p>The weekend flew by in a flash and Chuck began dreading going back to work. He had had fun with Larry and the kids. He and Larry had only talked about Alex a few times, finally agreeing to put it behind them. Chuck made Larry memorize their coverup about Chuck’s past with women and how it coincided with the false beginning of their relationship if any came by to check up on their story. No one had yet, so they tried forgetting about it and just focus on the kids, work, and the upcoming school year.</p><p>It was Monday morning and Larry’s first day back at work since the accident. Larry was excited to get back to work, teeming with joy as he got ready. Another discussion they had was that the kids needed a nanny. They couldn’t rely on Sarah any more than they needed to and Teresa was long gone. For now, they settled on a neighbor’s 16-year-old daughter who Larry was uneasy about watching the kids, but they both agreed it would have to do before they could find a more responsible person they could hire for the rest of the summer.</p><p>Eric and Tory were currently being watched by said 16-year-old as Chuck and Larry pulled into the fire department's employee parking lot. And for some unexplained reason, Larry was insanely nervous. He hadn’t been back at work or seen the guys in weeks. There was their underlying opinion on the “whole gay thing” as they liked to put it. Most had come to vaguely accept it, but they hadn’t been around Chuck and Larry as Chuck <em>and </em>Larry in a good while. They hadn’t even really <em>been </em>Chuck <em>and </em>Larry before the accident. There was also the question of how his shoulder would hold up, even though it hadn’t caused any problems since the sling was taken off.</p><p>Chuck noticed Larry was jittery as they walked towards the station, and took his hand, giving it a quick squeeze, dropping it as they walked in.</p><p>They headed straight for the locker rooms, only spending a few minutes chatting with a few of the guys before an emergency was called in. Chuck and Larry were among those dispatched, quickly getting into their gear and hopping on the firetruck as it rushed from the station.</p><p>The emergency was not too far away, just a few blocks down and over at an office building. Apparently, someone accidentally put tinfoil in the microwave when everyone was called into a meeting, leaving the breakroom unattended. The person had forgotten about microwaving anything up until the fire alarm went off, and at that point, the sprinklers were dousing everything, and the breakroom was already being eaten by the flames.</p><p>It was a pretty cut and dry job. They were able to keep the fire from spreading and nobody was seriously injured, except for a few that inhaled the smoke.</p><p>The most interesting part of the whole ordeal was when the person who put the foil in the microwave fessed up and was currently being chewed out by their boss on the street corner, and it sounded like they were being fired.</p><p>When Larry went up with a few others to check out the damage, he became a little dizzy from the smoke, having not been around it in a while, be he was mostly okay. He was sure a glass of water once they got back to the station would do the trick.</p><p>He was only able to relax for about half an hour before they were called out again.</p><p>This time, it wasn’t a fire, but it wasn’t any less demanding on his body. Some dumbass kid got stuck in an air vent at the local high school where he and some friends were smoking pot. A police officer came by to bust them, and the kid thought it a smart idea to try and hide in the vent. Apparently, the kids had been coming here all summer, thinking it a safe place while school was out. Larry wasn’t sure what the kid was thinking. He was on the heftier side and had absolutely no chance of fitting in the vent anywhere past his hips. He was wedged in tightly, and it took some dismantling of the vents to get him even remotely out.</p><p>Since it wasn’t too big of an emergency, it was only Larry, Chuck, and one of the other guys on the scene, David.</p><p>Larry volunteered to pull the kid while David and Chuck gripped him by the sides, trying to shimmy him as Larry tugged. They spent ten minutes with this technique, finally stopping when it wasn’t doing any good.</p><p>“What if we tried oiling him up? He might slip out easier then,” David offered while they stood around the kid's legs that stuck out of the vent, all of them with their arms crossed while they weighed their options.</p><p>“That could work, but where would we get oil?” Chuck asked. “We’d need a lot. He’s lodged in there pretty tightly.”</p><p>“The cafeterias gotta have something,” Larry voiced. He looked expectantly at the principal who was leaning against a wall close by, arguing with someone over the phone. Luckily she had been here, making some preparations for the school year. She didn’t seem to be listening to them, so David approached her.</p><p>“Excuse me, ma’am?”</p><p>“What?” She snapped. “Is he out yet?”</p><p>“Uh, no. Could we get into the cafeteria?”</p><p>She tossed him the keys, motioning to the front of the school before continuing to bicker with whoever was on the other side of the phone. She didn’t even bother to ask why they needed to know where the cafeteria was or even mention where it was.</p><p>David left, unlocking the front of the school before wandering in, in search of the cafeteria.</p><p>“How’s your shoulder?” Chuck asked, unprompted.</p><p>“It’s fine,” Larry said. He wasn’t even lying, but Chuck still looked uncertain.</p><p>“Are you sure? We could switch if you want.”</p><p>“Honestly, Chuck. It’s okay.”</p><p>Chuck nodded before speaking again, changing the topic. “This better work. I don’t wanna my whole day on this stupid kid.”</p><p>“Hey, if all else fails we could just cut him out,” Larry joked. The kid flailed his legs, shouting a faint “please don’t” that they could barely hear.</p><p>“Just kidding!” Chuck shouted so the kid would hear him.</p><p>They stood in silence for a few minutes, waiting for David to get back when Larry broke the silence.</p><p>“My, uh, my mother called last night,” Larry started, anxiously rubbing the back of his head. “She wants to come down here and visit before the school year starts.”</p><p>“Okay?” Chuck responded. By the look on Larry’s face, he was obviously missing something.</p><p>“She doesn’t know.”</p><p>Chuck gaped at him. “<em>She doesn’t know?”</em></p><p>Larry shook his head, looking guilty. “She’s coming next weekend. Bringing my Dad too.” Larry was fully avoiding Chuck’s eye contact now, alternating between staring at the sky and ground.</p><p>“And you didn’t think to tell her over the phone?”</p><p>“Believe me, I tried! You haven’t told any of your family either, so don’t go judging me.”</p><p>“What family do I have to tell? My Dad left when I was in middle school and my Mom can’t remember her own name half the time. I’m an only child. Who would I tell? My cousins, who I haven’t spoken to in years?”</p><p>“Yeah, yeah, I get the point, Chuck! I just- I couldn’t- I couldn’t do it over the phone. What was I supposed to do, say ‘Oh, and by the way, Ma, remember Chuck? We got married and he’s living with me now!’ and then just hang up?”</p><p>Chuck pressed his fingers against his temples, sighing in understanding. “I could go somewhere else for the weekend. I still have my apartment-”</p><p>“No, absolutely not.” Larry cut him off. “I want you there. I have to tell them eventually, don’t I? I already told her you’d be there anyway.”</p><p>“Okay, okay. You still don’t have to tell them yet. We could wait a bit longer if you want to.”</p><p>Larry thought about it for a few moments before shaking his head. “No, I want to do it. Might as well get it over with.”</p><p>“Okay. And I’ll be right there the whole time, Lar. Remember that.”</p><p>Larry smiled at him, complete love, and adoration on his face. Of course, this is when David decided to come back, carrying two buckets with an unknown substance sloshing around inside.</p><p>“Quit making doe eyes at each other! We’ve got a job to do!”</p><p>They spent the next half hour periodically dumping oil on the kid then pulling him, budging him a few inches each time before he eventually slid out with a pop.</p><p>The was around the moment when the kid's mom pulled up on the curb, running out of the car yelling at him. Before they could go, the police gave him a quick pat-down, looking for any weed, but coming up with nothing. Larry was sure the kid somehow got it out of his pocket while stuck in the vent and threw it somewhere, to be lost forever.</p><p>By the time the whole situation was sorted out, they were reaching the end of their shift. Once they were back at the station, they showered, moving to the locker room to change into clean clothes. As Chuck was shoving stuff into his locker, he went ridged noticing the absence of something on his hand.</p><p>He quickly pulled everything back out, dumping his belongings on the floor, rifling through his things.</p><p>“Lose something there, Chuck?” someone teased. Chuck thinks it was Tony, but too much panic was gripping him as he went through his stuff again, looking back into his locker to see if he missed anything.</p><p>“Maybe?” He groaned, sitting back on his heels, looking down at his belongings strewn across the floor with utter defeat. Chuck filtered through every memory of the day, trying to remember if he’d seen it or if he put it on in the morning at all. Maybe it was still on his nightstand. But no, it couldn’t be.</p><p>He distinctly remembers putting it on, complaining to Larry that it was slightly too big pointing out that it gradually made its way down his finger throughout the day, making him push it back up constantly.</p><p>“I think I- I think I lost my ring,” Chuck concluded. The jibes and remarks everyone had been making at him stopped. Thankfully, Larry wasn’t in the room, even though Chuck was sure he wouldn’t really care. It had been a simple wedding band, the cheapest one they could get at such short notice, but it was more to him than that. It was a symbol and he had grown to love it, no matter how much he complained it didn’t fit. When Larry had been stuck home, he constantly fiddled with it while at work whenever he missed Larry. Plus, it matched the one Larry had.</p><p>“Are you sure?” Tony asked, concern in his voice. The guys had teased him about it, but in the past few weeks, they grew to learn how important the ring was to Chuck.</p><p>“Yes, I’m-”</p><p>A memory flashed in his brain. When he had said he’d be beside Larry the whole time when his parents came to visit, he had thumbed his ring, pressing it firmly. And then David had come with the oil and he helped get it on the kid, using his hands to make sure he was thoroughly lubed up and-</p><p>“Oh god, fucking hell.”</p><p>He haphazardly stuffed his things back into his locker, grabbing the car keys before sprinting out, bumping into Larry as he left.</p><p>“Get a ride home with someone!” Chuck shouted back, running out to the car. He could hear Larry yelling something after him but Chuck ignored him.</p><p>He drove as fast as he could back to the High School without breaking any laws. He screeched to a stop, much like the kid's mother had before, and jumped out of the car. He rushed to the area where the vent was and got on his knees, scanning the ground for his ring. A scary thought occurred to him. The ring could have slipped off anywhere between here and when they drove back. It could have fallen off while they rode back on the fire truck, being run over on the street by cars. It could have fallen into a sewer, maybe even into the shower drain, it could be gone forever and-</p><p>A glint reflected by the sun caught his eyes some feet away in a patch of grass. He scrambled over, scratching his knees on the pavement, and began searching through the grass. Another glint. He kept his eyes on it this time, following it and-</p><p>“YES!” he shouted. It was his ring, sticky from the oil and smudged with dirt. He wiped it off on his shirt, thoroughly getting rid of the grim, before slipping it back on his finger. He collapsed on the grass, grasping the hand with his ring tightly against his chest, rubbing the ring gently. He stared at the sky, allowing himself to finally catch his breath.</p><p>A shadow fell across him, pulling him from his head.</p><p>“Hello, Sir? You can’t lay there.” It was the principal from before, standing over him with her hands on her hips.</p><p>“Sorry,” Chuck mumbled, standing up, brushing himself off.</p><p>“Hey, aren’t you one of the firemen from before?” she asked, eyeing him skeptically. “What are you doing back here?”</p><p>“Sorry, I uh, lost my wedding ring. Found it,” he said guiltily, holding up his hand as proof.</p><p>“My husband lost his once. Let’s hope your wife doesn’t give you the same ear full I gave him," she said, face softening with a smirk.</p><p>“Uh, well actually-”</p><p>He was cut off by the loud sound of a car pulling up on the street behind them and someone slamming the door shut.</p><p>“Chuck! What the hell, man?” Larry was approaching them quickly, arms up in the universal “what the fuck is this?” sign. When he reached them, he pulled Chuck into a bone-crushing hug. Chuck patted his back stiffly. Over Larry’s shoulder, Chuck could see Renaldo hopping out of the driver's seat, looking at Chuck apologetically.</p><p>“Can’t breath here, Lar,” Chuck managed to wheeze out, shooting Renaldo a death glare that said, “this is your fault.” Larry stopped hugging him but didn’t take his hands of Chuck, hands placed firmly on Chuck's hips.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Larry brought a hand up to cup Chuck’s face, keeping his head in place as he inspected his face carefully.</p><p>“I’m completely fine, why wouldn’t I-?”</p><p>“Need I remind you what happened the last time you ran out of the station?” Larry threw back, not letting up on his hold Chuck. It dawned on Chuck how similar it may seem he acted compared to the last time he sprinted away without a word. He shut his mouth, any retort dying on his tongue, and let Larry fret over him. “You scared the hell out of me, Chuck.” Larry’s voice was raw with worry. He hugged Chuck again, softer this time but firm.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Chuck whispered into his shoulder. Larry pulled back again, letting his hands fall to his side this time.</p><p>“What were you doing here anyway?”</p><p>Chuck suddenly looked sheepish. He felt bad for freaking out over something that seemed so infinitesimal compared to what else Larry might have thought was going on.</p><p>“I-uh lost my ring. Thought I’d find it here.”</p><p>Larry put his face in his hands. Chuck stared at the ground, embarrassed beyond belief. He could just barely see Larry’s body heaving and shaking with-</p><p>What was that? Laughter? The fucker was laughing at him.</p><p>“Stop laughing at me!” Chuck’s face flushed red and he slapped Larry’s shoulder. Larry put his hand up in a weak defense, the other on his stomach. His face streamed with tears and he desperately tried to suck in air between laughs.</p><p>“I’m trying to!” Larry said, still laughing.</p><p>“Shut up, or I swear to god I will divorce you.”</p><p>Larry was able to suppress his laughter. He put his arms around Chuck’s waist and pulled him close. Chuck crossed his arms, refusing to meet Larry’s eyes.</p><p>“I’m sorry for laughing, it’s just- I swear one of these days your gonna give me a heart attack.”</p><p>Chuck tried to stifle a smile, but Larry noticed the faint twitch of his lips. He loosened his arms, resting his hands on Larry’s shoulders.</p><p>“I was right, though. I found it in the grass.”</p><p>Larry laughed again and a grin spread across Chuck’s face.</p><p>“You’re insufferable, you know that? I love you.”  Larry placed a chaste kiss on his lips before stepping back, removing himself from Chuck. “C’mon. We gotta get home before the nanny charges us extra for overtime.”</p><p>Larry followed him to the car, handing him the keys and getting in the passenger seat. As they drove away, Chuck didn’t miss the dumbfounded expression on the principal's face as she watched them leave. The whole way home, Chuck fiddled with his ring, thinking about how lucky he was. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope y'all liked it! This chapter is the shortest out of all of them cause' I needed to get the chapter out. The next chapter might take a while to get out cause I'm moving. I live off of comments!</p>
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